The Antichrist Cometh
by GoodguysRoverated
Summary: My 1st fic so bare with me. Momonga is a vampire and his personality has had a few alterations to it to make him more bitter and intelligent. He will plot world domination from the beginning. He will also change his name to something other than Ainz Ooal Gown. NO LEMONS. Special thanks to ainzOoalGo, KhaosKhan, The Reluctant Overlord, and BigBenEco for inspiration. Bad at summaries
1. Prologue: King Nothing

Prologue: King Nothing

Player Intel:

Name: Momonga

Race: Heteromorphic. Dracula. The only type of vampire higher than a True Vampire. A Dracula is among the most powerful, intelligent, and, more often than not, ambitious of their kind. They are vampires that are so powerful that they are no longer weakened by the sun and gain +15 to all stats in the night. The night also gifts them with the ability to overcome class restrictions for up to 5 minutes. Every person who they suck dry of blood is added into the collection of souls a Dracula has trapped within them and they can use the spell [Mortal's Mask] to make themselves look like one of those they have devoured.

Height: 8ft 2in

Appearance: Extremely pale skin. Shoulder length black hair. Red eyes. Stubble along upper lip and chin. Every tooth in his mouth is a fang, like most Draculas. Typically wears a crimson cape with a high collar in addition to black light armor or black robes. (Looks like the damn picture for this story).

Additional information: Momonga is the Guild Master of Ainz Ooal Gown, Ruler of The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, and earned the nickname "The Antichrist of Yggdrasil" do to his cruel strategies that caused numerous players to "rage quit." His Vampiric abilities, much like his MP far outstrip the maximum that most players are capable of having, earning him a nickname as "Father Blood" or "The First Vampire" which he would especially use when roleplaying with the rest of Ainz Ooal Gown. He is extremely devoted to his guild mates and the guild itself. However, as more and more people have been leaving Yggdrasil, including his former comrades, he has become increasingly bitter.

* * *

Momonga sat upon his throne in the Great Tomb of Nazarick with a glum expression on his face. In his hand he held a skull-like goblet full of blood which he occasionally took sips from as the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown floated to his left.

He let out a depressed sigh for what must have been one hundredth time as his red eyes glared at the countdown timer. There were only about five minutes left until Yggdrasil's servers would be shut down. Momonga was still fuming over what Herohero had said just before he left a few minutes ago.

"See you IRL?" he scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Let's meet again. We'll catch up some time. I'll be back. He had heard them all. One by one his friends from Ainz Ooal Gown had left. They abandoned the guild, they abandoned Nazarick, they abandoned HIM! Once Yggdrasil was shut down he would have nothing. No friends, no family. Just memories and a dead end job in a world ruined by pollution.

"DAMN YOU ALL! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!?" Momonaga half shouted half cried to himself.

Momonga glanced around at his surroundings in the throne room and rested for a moment on each of the banners, lingering a second longer on his own, which was an emblem of a fanged skull with bat wings sprouting rom the sides of its head, and finally his gaze landed on the NPCs gathered in the throne room with him.

 _Well, at least I'm not the only one whose been abandoned. What can I say? Misery loves company._

Momonga glanced at the countdown once more. Two minutes left. He looked to his right where Albedo stood. She was absolutely beautiful. Perfect in every way. The only problem was that, like all the NPCs, her face was forever frozen in an expressionless gaze. He stared at her for a few more moments before glancing back to the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown

 _Might as well screw around a bit. Not like anything I do will matter._

He then used the staff to start looking through Albedo's settings.

 _Let's see…..blablabla…Overseer of the Floor Guardians…. Yadayadayada….. Succubus…. boringboringboring wait. What's this? "Is a total slut?" Goddammit Tabula! I'm DEFINITELY changing that!_

And with that final thought that definitely won't have any future consequences he used the staff to start changing "Is a total slut" to "Is in love with Momonga."

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," he chuckled to himself. "Oh, well. It's not like I'm ever going to get married IRL so I might as well just let myself have this while I can."

With his changes saved he leaned back in his throne and looked at the timer. Thirty seconds left.

 _Well it was fun while it lasted. Who knows? Maybe I really will see them again._

10…..9…..8…..

 _Goodbye Nazarick. I will never forget you._

6…..5…..4…..

 _I wish it could've lasted forever._

2…..1….0.

Momonga opened his eyes. He was still in Nazarick.

 _What the hell? Was the shutdown delayed or something?_

"My lord?" A soothing, angelic voice called out. "Is everything alright?"

Momonga slowly turned his head to stare at Albedo who had slightly moved from her usual position and was staring at him with concern in her eyes. He glanced back at the other NPCs who were also looking at him. Everything about them was so lifelike from the concern in the NPCs eyes to the quirked eyebrow of Sebas.

The NPCs had come to life.

Oh. Shit.


	2. The Floor Guardians

Chapter 1: The Floor Guardians

"My lord? My lord? Lord Momonga are you okay?"

Momonga finally snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

"Not now Albedo," he snapped. Albedo stiffened and immediately bowed.

"My apologies my lord! I did not mean to displease you!"

Momonga continued to watch her movements as he attempted to log out or contact an administrator. No dice.

 _She's so lifelike….. Is this an update? Yggdrasil 2.0? Is this really happening? How am I being so calm about this?_

After a few moments of conversing with himself, he looked up and set his gaze on Nazarick's butler.

"Sebas," he spoke in a calm but commanding tone.

"My lord?" Sebas raised his head.

"Something strange has happened and I need you and a few of the Pleiades to investigate the perimeter around Nazarick. Once your investigation is complete you are to report back to me with your findings. Am I understood?"

"As you say my lord," the aged butler said as he bowed before he set off at a quick pace.

Momonga then turned his attention to the remaining Pleiades Battle Maids.

"The rest of you are to act as additional security on the eighth and ninth floors."

"Yes my lord!" they responded in unison before departing to carry out their tasks.

With his subordinates gone, Momonga sank back into his thoughts. That is, until Albedo spoke up.

"My lord, what would you have me do?" Albedo asked with as she gazed at him with those seductive eyes that seemed to….. NO! BAD THOUGHTS!

 _Still, I need to confirm if my suspicions are correct. Time to go for broke I guess._

"Albedo, would you come here?" Albedo seemed to perk up.

"Of course darling!" she said all smiles.

 _Darling? Why the hell is she calling me….. oh no._

Then he remembered what he had done to her settings.

 _Well, this is what I get for screwing with Tabula's bullshit. It came back to bite me right in the ass._

"Albedo, I apologize if I'm being too forward but…." He barely spoke to anyone IRL even less ask to grope a girl's tits!

"I need to touch your chest," he finally completed his sentence. Strangely he could feel himself becoming calmer and calmer. Albedo stared at him for few moments as if not understanding what had come out his mouth. Then her face lit up and she looked like she was the happiest woman in the world.

"Sure!" she said happily.

 _That went well._

So, Momonga tentatively reached and started groping her.

 _This is the weirdest day of my life._

Ignoring Albedo's continuing moans, he continued to ponder the situation.

 _Yggdrasil would never allow 18+ actions like this. Not with the Social Order Maintenance Act in place. Plus I can feel her pulse, so have the NPCs really come to life? This can't be real no way. Still these are really soft – oh goddammit I'm still touching her._

"My apologies Albedo my mind was elsewhere and-" Momonga stopped when he felt something pressing against his pants. He didn't have to look down to tell what it was. Albedo started blushing almost instantaneously and began fidgeting.

"Ah, my lord, will I have my first time here?" she asked as her eyes shined with eagerness and perhaps a little bit of fear.

 _WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!?_

"What shall I do with my clothes? Should I take them off? Or do you want to? Or would you rather rip-" As tempting as it was, Momonga didn't really know how he felt about the situation.

"Enough! Now is not the time to indulge in such things!" Momonga stated while attempting to appear as regal as he could in the given situation. Albedo gasped and bowed.

"My deepest apologies my lord!" Momonga raised a hand in response.

"It is fine. Please gather all of the Floor Guardians other than Gargantua and Victim. Have them meet me on the sixth floor in about an hour."

"Yes my lord!" and with that Albedo hurried off to carry out her duty. A few seconds after she left Momonga glanced around the throne room to make sure he was alone before he peaked into his pants and grinned

 _FUCK YEAH! I'M HUGE!_

And with that confidence booster and the knowledge that his sex-drive was still intact despite being an undead he teleported off.

* * *

After spending some time checking if magic, message, and everything else from the game still worked, Momonga had teleported to the sixth floor, spent some time with Aura and Mare, and bragged to the two elves about the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown much like he used to brag to his guild mates back in the old days. No wonder they would tease him by calling him a maniac. There was a slight problem however. Shaltear had arrived.

"Ah? Am I the first to arrive?" she asked herself in a bell-like tone. She nodded at Mare, glared at Aura, and then her eyes lit up and she sprinted at Momonga, jumped up, and hugged him. It was humorous to watch considering he was 8ft2in tall and she was 4ft5in so it was like watching a koala hang from a tree. "Father! You're here!" she exclaimed.

 _FATHER?_

"My apologies Shaltear, but why did you call me father?" Shaltear let go of her master's neck and hopped down.

"It is only natural I would refer to you that way, Lord Momonga. You don't have the title of Father Blood for nothing. You, who are the father of all vampires, are the epitome of our kind! Was I perhaps being too informal?

 _Father Blood? My old roleplaying name? How does Shaltear know about that? Do the other NPCs know?_

"It is fine Shaltear. I was merely curious," he stated calmly. What else did the NPCs know about?

"Please, there's no way fake-tits here can have any relation to you my lord," Aura said with a smirk. Shaltear growled as she turned to Aura. "I knew it! I bet you overstuffed your bra so you can't even walk straight! That's why you had to use the gate!"

"You little fucking termite!" Shaltear screeched as she drew her claws.

"Come at me mosquito!" Aura challenged as she drew her whip. Momonga smirked as he watched this exchange. It reminded him of the quarrels between Shaltear's creator, Peroroncino, and his sister Bukubukuchagama, Aura's creator.

 _It's funny. Not even an hour ago, I was brooding over how alone I felt. I don't feel so alone anymore._

"S-sis you can't say that about vampires! L-l-lord Momonga is a vampire too!" Mare shook as he spoke up. Aura simply scoffed.

"Lord Momonga is nothing like Shaltear, Mare," Aura said firmly. "He is the original vampire! The GOD of all vampires!"

"There's no such thing as god," Momonga, being an atheist, couldn't help but quietly mutter those words so that no one could hear him. Suddenly a loud commanding voice yelled out.

"You. Are. Embarrassing. Yourselves. Before. The. Master." Everyone turned their eyes to the newcomer. Nazarick's resident Varmin Lord and warrior extraordinaire, Cocytus.

"But this shorty insulted me!"

"Bitch, you are the last person who should be calling someone short!"

 **"** **Enough,"** a terrifying voice commanded. Everyone fearfully turned their heads towards Momonga. He was glaring at them with his glowing red eyes as a black aura of death swirled around him.

"M-my apologies my lord," both Aura and Shaltear stuttered out. Momonga sighed as they finally shut up and turned his head to see the other Guardians, with Albedo leading them, report in.

Sebas was the last to arrive and had messaged his master the information regarding the situation outside earlier while Aura and Mare had been fighting the fire elemental. One by one the Guardians stated their names and positions.

Demiurge, a sadistic demon who was, in every sense of the word, an evil genius. He was the master of the blazing pits of the seventh floor and was the head of Nazarick's Security. He wore an orange suit that seemed distinctly British, had long ears, spectacles, and had a long silver spiked tail.

Aura and Mare were brother and sister as well as the defenders of the sixth floor. The elven twins had heterochromatic eyes and were created as cross dressers. Momonga smirked as he recalled Bukubukuchagama's eccentricities.

Cocytus, an enormous four armed insectoid Vermin Lord warrior created to be the embodiment of bushido and armed to the teeth. He guarded the icy fifth floor.

Shalltear, a True Vampire who took necrophilia to next level and was the guardian of the first, second, and third floors and all of their undead inhabitants. She wore a dark purple dress that wouldn't seem out of place in a ballroom and had her silver hair in a ponytail.

Corvo, one of his own personal creations. Corvo was a member of the Vengeful Spirit race and he specialized in stealth and assassination. He was the guardian of the ninth floor, where he would use the décor combined with his magic to strike at the enemy without them knowing he was even there, and he managed the Eight Edge Assassins. He wore a dark hooded trench coat and wore a metallic mask that resembled a deformed skull. Underneath that mask he looked like your average, albeit handsome, human. For now.

Albedo kneeled before her master at the head of the guardians before speaking.

"We the Floor Guardians pledge our undying loyalty to you, the Supreme Being, our overlord," she said.

"All hail Lord Momonga!" the rest of them joined in. He gave them all a cold smile that befitted a strong ruler.

 _Thank you non-existent God for all those annoying acting lessons I was given in the orphanage._

"Excellent. I have no doubt that you will all fulfill your duties exceptionally." The Guardians looked up and beamed at their master. "According to Sebas the swamps that once surrounded Nazarick are no more and we now find ourselves surrounded by grasslands. Does anyone have any suggestions as how we can hide Nazarick from the outside world?"

"Um… uh…. W-we can cover the outer walls with earth and vegetation. Th-that should hide us for the most part," Mare stuttered out. Albedo had a burning anger in her eyes and was about to start shouting at Mare when Momonga's piercing red eyes glared at her, wordlessly telling her to keep quiet.

"Very good Mare, I will leave it in your capable hands. However a single hill may stand out. I recommend that, if possible, several hills be erected to further disguise our location from outsiders."

"I was about to suggest the same thing my lord," Sebas stated with a nod of approval.

"Y-y-yes my lord," Mare bowed shyly although on the inside he was giddy that he could of use to the Supreme Being.

"Now, I have a question for you my guardians," Momonga stated as he swept his cold gaze over each and every one of them. "What am I to you?"

The Guardians looked at one another, not entirely sure what the purpose of this question was but willing to answer nonetheless. Shalltear was the first to speak up. Her face was full of joy and had a distinct blush on her pale features.

"Beauty, elegance, and power personified! The father of all vampires and the god who reaches into the realms of the living and the dead!"

 _What? God?_

"Cocytus?"

"Stronger. Than. All. Of. Us. Floor. Guardians. And. Dare. I. Say. Any. Of. The. Other. Supreme. Beings. The. Pride. Of. Nazarick. Our. Great. Leader."

"Aura?"

"A merciful leader with unmatched foresight!"

"Mare?"

"A-a kind and gentle ruler."

"Demiurge?"

"An inscrutable man who makes the wisest of decisions and acts upon them with precision and efficiency."

"Corvo?"

"You are our most worthy master and my creator."

"Sebas?"

"The leader of the 41 Supreme Beings and our kind master who elected to stay with until the end."

"Last but not least, Albedo?"

"The Highest of the Supreme Beings and our ultimate master! As well as the man I love!" she stated proudly.

 _Well, now my ego is through the roof._

"Thank you my guardians. Continue to serve me faithfully!"

And with that he teleported away as several conflicting thoughts raced through his head.

 _Why do they revere me so much? They should since I'm their leader. But I'm not nearly as great as there making out to be! I can't let them down! Should I try to get back to my world? Do I want to go back? What if we have enemies out there? Hostile players? I can't lose the NPCs! Not when they just came to life! I won't abandon them! They're all I have left!_

That last thought brought a halt to his mental argument and a genuine smile made its way onto his pale features as realization dawned on him.

"I'm not alone anymore."


	3. I want it ALL

Chapter 2: I Want it All

Momonga had spent the past several hours in the armory continuing to test the rules of this new world under Narberal's watchful eyes. He had found that unless he had an item that bypassed his class restrictions as a sorcerer he could not wield a sword. He had then used [Create Greater Item] to make a suit of armor he could use which he decided to call The Dark Knight's Armor. He had also noticed that his thought process was significantly faster and that he, unfortunately, couldn't see himself in the mirror. After reviewing his player stats for explanations to his increased intelligence and if he would have to fear the sunlight (thankfully he was completely immune and the night actually made him stronger instead of being the only time he was safe from the sun like a lesser vampire) he headed out to surface without teleporting because he felt the need to familiarize himself with Nazarick's layout. He stopped for a few moments when he overheard Shaltear and Albedo arguing.

"YOU SLOVENLY MOSQUITO!'

"YOU DARE INSULT VAMPIRES? OUR LORD IS A VAMPIRE!

"YOU AND OUR LORD ARE NOTHING ALIKE. HE LOOKS LIKE A MAJESTIC EMBODIMENT OF THE NIGHT IN HIS TRUE FORM! YOU LOOK LIKE A ROTTEN FISH!"

"YOU AREN'T WORTHY OF BEING WITH FATHER BLOOD!"

"YOU AREN'T WORTHY OF BEING CALLED ONE HIS CHILDREN!"

Momonga decided now was good time to teleport and avoid this situation.

 _Did they have some level of sentience before we came to this new world? Is that how Shaltear knew about the whole Father Blood thing? Or was it just in her settings when Peroroncino designed her? I'll have to look over the NPCs settings when I get the chance._

* * *

Momonga floated in the air high above the clouds as he gazed at beautiful sky. His eyes revealed wonders unlike any his old world had. But, thanks to his vampire senses, his nose smelled a faint scent of blood in the air. The beauty of this world masked a reality of conflict and pain.

 _BluePlanet would lose his mind after seeing this magnificent sky._

He suddenly frowned at the thought his former comrades. Even though the NPCs had come to life and had become his new family, Ainz Ooal Gown was still a hollow shell of its former self. It was certainly a step up from how things had been prior to coming to this new world, but it wasn't enough. He looked out upon the world once more and was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of ambition and he could feel the remnants of his humanity slipping away. "Taking over the world might be quite enjoyable." As Momonga spoke these words his cold smile widened like a fissure into an evil grin that revealed every fang in his mouth as his piercing eyes widened changing expression from that of a dignified ruler to a madman. "This entire world shall become Ainz Ooal Gown!" he declared to himself without realizing Demiurge had chosen that moment to catch up with him. "Every being in the universe will know of the planet Ainz Ooal Gown and all of its glory!" Demiurge stared in awe as if he watching history being made as his master continued to rant. "Nazarick will conquer this world. And the next. And then the next! AND THEN THE NEXT!" And with that he let out evil laughter like any self-respecting villain would. After a few moments he finally calmed himself down. "Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself," he said as turned to see Demiurge's slack jawed expression.

 _That wasn't like me. I've never dreamed of world domination or ever laughed like some sort of super villain before. The lore about Draculas does say that they are extremely ambitious so that could be the reason my personality has been changing. Still, calling this planet Ainz Ooal Gown is a lot more imaginative than calling it another word for dirt cough cough Earth._

"My lord," Demiurge finally spoke up. With a bow he said "It would be my greatest pleasure to secure this planet for you and make sure its inhabitants know of its glorious name and its rightful ruler." Momonga gave a small smile in response to the demon's devotion.

"One day, Demiurge. One day."

 _Might as well check how Mare's doing_


	4. Birth of the Antichrist

Chapter 3: Birth of the Antichrist

Momonga peered into the Observation Mirror as he watched the knights massacre the villagers.

 _I should feel horrified shouldn't I? All this blood and violence should make me feel sick, or appalled, hell I'd even take being turned on by it at this point, just let me feel something! *Sigh* I guess this is just part of being an undead. I don't even have a shred of my humanity left. I guess the last pieces of who I used to be are dead. I remember remembering how it feels to be human more than the actual feelings themselves. At least I still have the NPCs._

He glanced over his shoulder towards Sebas, who had been observing the events over his master's shoulder.

"We'll leave the humans to their own devices. This isn't our problem," Momonga stated coldly. He noticed Sebas twitch before he responded with his usual mannerism.

"As you say my lord," Sebas said a little quieter than usual.

"Sebas?"

"My lord?"

"It is painfully obvious something is bothering you. Speak your mind." Sebas let out a sigh before steeling himself to answer his master.

"My lord, with all due respect, must we let the humans die? It is within our power to prevent this tragedy and, judging by the way those knights handle their swords, it would take very little effort on our part. I believe we should help the humans. It is the right thing to do." With his piece said, Sebas folded his arms behind his back and awaited a reprimand. Momonga stared at him seeing his old friend Touch-Me's ideals alive within his creation. Momonga still felt bitterness towards Touch-Me and the other former members of Ainz Ooal Gown. However, he did owe Touch-Me for saving him the first time they met. He did have the power to stop this. He needed to test the general strength of this world's people anyway. Besides, Sebas was right. It was the right thing to do even if he didn't care.

 _This is the last time I do anything for the sake of you traitors._

And with that final bitter thought, he stood up and looked at Sebas.

"You are right Sebas," Momonga finally said. "It is within our power to save those people. I will go provide them with assistance. Inform Albedo of the situation and tell her to meet me there." Sebas smiled as he went off to find Albedo. While Sebas did not like it when innocents died he knew many in Nazarick would sit and watch humans kill each other with glee and it put a spring in his step to know that his lord shared similar ideals. "[Gate]!"

* * *

Enri Emmot held her baby sister, Nemu, closely as she ran through the forest. She tried not to think about how she had just watched her parents murdered. She tried not to think about the other villagers who were being butchered. And most importantly, she tried not to think about what would happen if the knights that were chasing them managed to catch up. Unfortunately for her, just as she thought this, she felt the cold steel of a sword make a shallow cut down her back. As shallow as it was, it still hurt like hell and Enri hit the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut. The two knights who had been chasing her laughed as they circled her.

"You didn't actually think you could get away from us did you?" one of the knights said with a chuckle.

"Are you okay, sis?" her baby sister asked

"We're okay Nemu! Everything is going to be alright!" Enri lied through her teeth. What was she supposed to do? Tell her baby sister that they were about to die?

"Well isn't this touching?" the other knight scoffed. "Alright let's get this over whi-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" The knight's comrade and the sisters looked towards where he was pointing to see some kind of spinning oval of utter blackness which contrasted heavily with the sunlight that it seemed suck from the air. Slowly, ever so slowly, a figured emerged from the inky blackness. A single word went through the minds of the four who saw him.

 **DEATH**

The best way to describe the tall man that had emerged from the darkness would be death given human form. He wore black light armor and a blood red cloak. Shoulder length, wavy hair as dark as night. Skin as pale as a corpse. He had a neatly trimmed moustache and beard with a face with that would considered extremely handsome if it wasn't for the fanged scowl that adorned his features. Last but not least were the piercing crimson eyes that seemed to look through your skin and straight into your soul. And those eyes were glaring bloody murder at the two knights.

"St-st-stay back!" one of the knights managed to shout. "We are on official business of the-" The man didn't even let him finish.

"[Grasp Heart]" he said in calm, commanding tone as he held up his hand and clenched his fist as if to crush something. As he did the knight who had been speaking coughed out blood and was dead before he hit the ground. "Pathetic."

The other knight scared out of his wits pointed his sword at the man – no – the monster that had just killed his comrade and shouted the first thing that popped into his head.

"Stop! Monster!"

Momonga stared at this hypocritical human for a moment and laughed as remembered a quote from one his favorite films. His eyes glowed a bit bright and his lips turned upward into a twisted grin that showed off every one of his fangs.

"I get that a lot human," he stated as he slowly walked toward the knight who was slowly backing away in response. "And what does that make you who would slaughter innocents before standing before me. A MAN? A WORM? A MONSTER?"

Unable to stand being near this creature another minute the knight ditched his sword and ran away as fast as he could.

"You can murder women and children but the moment a real opponent worth killing shows up you turn tail and run? Coaward! [Dragon Lightning]!" As those last words left his mouth, a bolt of lightning that resembled a Chinese Dragon. The lightning bolt struck its target with precision and force sending the knight's charred corpse to the ground. Momonga simply laughed at said corpse. "Don't tell me all humans are this weak? Should I create a Vampire Bride? No, to much effort for such weak opponents." He then raised his hand towards the corpse he had used [Grasp Heart] on. "[Create Death Knight]!" Black ooze appeared on the corpse and completely covered it. Before anyone knew it the corpse became a full-fledged Death Knight.

 _That's not how it worked in Yggdrasil. This requires further investigation. Later perhaps._

"Death Knight. There are knights attacking the village. Kill them all!" he commanded. With its orders received the Death Knight took off towards the village growling in anticipation of the coming slaughter. Just as the Death Knight set off another portal opened behind him.

 _Right on time._

Albedo, clad in slender black body armor with a large battle axe in hand stepped out from the swirling dark portal.

"I apologize my lateness my lord," Albedo said with a bow. "My preparations took longer than expected."

"On the contrary Albedo, your timing was impeccable."

"Thank you my lord." Albedo turned to the two human girls. "My lord, shall I dispose of these lower life forms?" As she spoke she raised her axe in preparation to strike and the girls screamed.

 _Lower life forms? I'm detecting a potential problem._

"Leave them be. Our targets are the ones wearing armor," Momonga stated calmly. Albedo responded with a nod and lower her axe. Seeing the axe lowered, the girls stopped screaming. Momonga then turned his attention to the two girls who had close to each other and were positively shaking as he turned his gaze towards them. He knelt so he could be closer to level and examined Enri's wound. "You are injured. Drink this," he said he held out a red healing potion.

"B-b-b-blood?" the older girl stammered. Momonga raised an eyebrow as the girl continued stammering. "I-if I drink this will you please let my sister go sir?" The girl's little sister then started attempting smack the potion away.

"Don't drink it Enri!" she cried.

 _What the hell? I'm not that scary! Draculas may not be common but it's not something to freak out over- ah that's right. This isn't Yggdrasil. New world new rules. Looks like the undead are frowned upon around here._

Momonga was brought out his thoughts when he felt Albedo raise the axe again while seething with rage.

"You lower life forms! How dare deny our lord's kindness?" Albedo growled. The girls started screaming again. Unfortunately for Momonga, he smelled that at least one of them has wet themselves. Lovely.

 _This is getting annoying._

"Albedo, dear, please put the axe down," he requested with a sigh. He heard the axe clatter to ground behind him and turned around to see Albedo squirming.

"Ah. Dear. He called me dear," she kept muttering to herself. Momonga smirked as he watched the succubus's antics.

 _This is rather amusing actually._

He whipped his head around to face the girls again who, thankfully, had stopped screaming.

"This is a healing potion," he stated holding up. "Please drink it." After a moment's hesitation, Enri took the potion and gulped it down. Almost instantaneously, the wound on her back was healed and the pain disappeared.

"Amazing," she muttered. Momonga nodded in satisfaction.

"Are you aware of what magic is?" he asked.

"Yes. I have a friend who comes to our village sometimes who uses magic," Enri replied.

"Good. That simplifies matters. I am a sorcerer and I am here to help your village," as he finished speaking he raised his hand to cast more spells. "[Anti-Life Cocoon] [Wall of Protection from Arrow]." A barrier quickly wrapped around the girls and Momonga pulled out a Horn of the Goblin General and tossed it in with them. "Use this should anyone manage to get past these defenses. Come along Albedo." Albedo finally snapped out of her fantasy and picked up her axe before falling in behind her master.

"Wait!" Enri cried. Momonga rolled his eyes.

 _Now what?_

"Yes?" He turned to see the two girls bowing to him.

"Thank you kind sir," Enri said.

"Thank you mister saucer," Nemu said copying her elder sister.

 _It's sorcerer._

"What is your name sir?" Enri asked. That question froze Momonga dead in his tracks. Who was he? He didn't feel like he did when he played as Momonga anymore. When Momonga thought of his former guild mates he felt pride and comradery. Now when he thought of them he felt bitterness and betrayal. Should he introduce himself as Ainz Ooal Gown? He was all that was left of the guild after all. No. He had already set his lifeless heart on naming the planet that. Besides, the name would just bring up more bitter memories until he had something to full Ainz Ooal Gown with. He would pick a name based off his accomplishments in Yggdrasil. He ascended to the highest order of vampire, a Dracula, by devouring oceans of blood. He earned the nickname "Yggdrasil's Antichrist" through his merciless strategies and cunning.

 _That's it then._

He smiled and swarms of bats filled the sky even though there still daylight. His red eyes shone brightly and his shadow seemed to have red eyes all over it.

"Remember my name. I AM **LUCIFER DRACUL**.


	5. Murdering the Murderers

Chapter 4: Murdering the Murderers

Belius Arkendgrad was a man who lived and breathed the teachings of the Slane Theocracy. He was a human, the only race on the planet that deserved to exist. He was rich and he could do whatever he wanted to any elven slaves the Theocracy captured, especially the women. Those who spoke out against him were either silenced or bought off. He truly believed that he was untouchable. Who would dare lay a finger against a powerful noble such as himself? Unfortunately for Belius, he was in for a rude awakening.

* * *

Another one of his men was thrown into the air and landed with a sickening crunch. Belius couldn't believe what was happening. Everything had been going according to plan. His men had been rounding up the last of the villagers in preparation of their execution when suddenly a monster that could best be described as a knight who guarded the gates of hell and started slaughtering his men. Body parts littered the ground and blood from the creature's latest victim had been splattered on his armor. He was starting to panic.

"Kill it! Kill it now!" he shrieked. Yet another soldier tried his hand at bringing down the beast. This lucky bastard was actually able to score a hit on the two meter tall abomination from behind. The problem was that his sword shattered on impact with the monster. His eyes widened as the monster turned around to look at him with those red, hateful eyes.

"Oh shi-," before the soldier could finish that elegant statement he found him eviscerated by the creature's jagged sword. At this point, Belius was nearing a mental breakdown and was becoming a problem for the other knights.

"KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT! KILL IT!" he screamed over and over again like a child throwing a tantrum. The only thing that shut him up was the fact that the monster turned its all-hating eyes towards. If that skeletal, rotted face was capable of expressions, it be twisted into an evil grin as closed in on Belius. "HELP ME! I'LL PAY YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT!" he pleaded to his soldiers. Just as the jagged blade was raised to deliver the killing blow, a calm yet commanding voice rang out.

"That's enough Death Knight." The Death Knight, as it apparently was called, lowered its weapon at the orders of its creator. Everyone, villager and soldier alike, looked towards the newcomers who floated down from the sky. One was a tall and handsome man in black light armor with a red high collar cloak while the other one a distinctly feminine shape to her and sleek black full body armor and wielded a massive battle axe. Belius glared at the horns that sprouted from the sides of the female's head.

 _Filthy abomination._

He approached the tall man while making sure he had a subordinate to act as his shield should he need to make an escape.

"You there!" Belius called out now that his usual arrogance had returned. "Do you realize that your beast got loose and interrupted an operation that was ordered by the Slane Theocracy's Six Cardinals themselves? Put the beast down and deliver me just compensation or you will be hearing from the Theocracy? Why do you not speak? Do you know who I am? Identify yourself!" Albedo growled at this human's arrogance for talking her master in such a way. Belius simply glanced at her before looking back towards the tall man. "It seems your Death Knight isn't the only pet you should keep your pet on a leash. She has nice curves though. Perhaps we should consider her our compensation?"

 _This human really is an idiot._

"….My name is Lucifer Dracul,"the man, now identified as Lucifer, said. "And you are a fool." Belius blanched at the directness of that statement. "I ordered the Death Knight to attack you because you were killing innocents." Belius laughed at that. Lucifer eyebrow twitched as this man was really starting to get on his nerves. He had deactivated some of his inherent abilities such as his red eyes, which were now a steely gray, and had retracted his fangs prior to coming before ordered the Death Knight to stop. However, the more this man grated on his nerves the more tempting it was to, literally, bite his head off.

"Ah, you must have mistaken us for members of the Baharuth Empire because of the armor. I suppose that was the point of disguising ourselves as them in the first place. We work in the name of the Six Great Gods so if a few peasants have to die so their will can be done then so be it. They're lower class for a reason you know." Belius apparently thought he was being rather funny as he started laughing that annoying laugh again.

 _I came down here to try to reason with him, but with his religious zealotry, supposed racial superiority, and complete sense of entitlement, every moment he breathes is an embarrassment to any creature capable of doing math as simple as 2+2. Is every member of the Slane Theocracy like this?_

Lucifer had had enough of the infuriating man so he looked back towards his Death Knight.

"Death Knight, kill them all." Belius' eyes shot open as heard those order uttered. Not even two seconds later the Death Knight had begun reveling in the carnage once again.

"Wait! Wait! Spare me! I'm too rich to die in a place like this! I'll give you anything you want!" Belius cried as everything started to go downhill for him again.

 _Ah, he's a coward too. Because why half-ass being a total waste of genetic material._

"You only have one thing I could possibly want," Lucifer stated as Belius looked up at him with hope. "Your soul," Lucifer finished with an evil grin as Belius felt all hope of living leave him. "He's all yours Albedo. Try to keep him mostly intact I plan to collect their corpses and turn them all into Death Knights." With that said he folded his arms behind his back and walked off leaving Belius and his troops to their painful demise. Although he did look back to watch Belius get stabbed over and over again while he squealed like a little bitch.

* * *

Lucifer had spent the past three hours managing the bodies being moved to Nazarick, helping the villagers rebuild, and squeezing as much information as he could out of the village elder. Deactivating some of his racial traits had definitely done the trick and no a soul suspected the he was a vampire, of course he had been made to go back to Enri and Nemu and alter their memories. Still, for the most part, everything had gone exceptionally well. His only displeasure was that in his anger he simply allowed the Death Knight and Albedo to slaughter of the Theocracy's soldiers. In retrospect, he should've captured a few of them and sent them to Neuronist to get more information out of them. Currently, he was standing next to Albedo as they watched the humans scurry about. He had just finished explaining how he had come to see humans as cute pets instead of roaches to be stepped on.

"Albedo, I understand that you don't like humans but you need to learn to work with them," he told the succubus sternly. Albedo let out a sigh before responding.

"As you say Lord Momon- my apologies, Lord Dracul."

"Lucifer is just fine Albedo," he said with a chuckle although he mentally recorded the name Momon. It had a nice ring to it. Albedo immediately perked up.

"Is that what you want all of the Floor Guardians to refer to you as my lord?" she started fidgeting the same way she did back when he called her dear. "Or…. Just me? Lucifer didn't know how to deal with Albedo's question and the village elder was waving him over so he took the quickest escape route.

"I leave that up to you Albedo," he said as walked off. If she hadn't been wearing a helmet he would've noticed her face had gone as red as his cloak. His vampire senses, however, did smell an increase in female hormones in the area but he decided to ignore it.

"Sir Dracul!" the village elder panted as he ran up to him. "There are more armored men headed this way on horseback. What should we do?"

 _This was fun at first but now it's becoming a pain._

"Gather your people in the center of the village," Lucifer ordered calmly. "You and I will shall go discern whether these men are friend or foe." They didn't have to wait very long before a man who was the very definition of a seasoned veteran stopped his horse right before them.

"My name is Gazef Stronoff. May I ask your names?"


	6. A Captain, a Captain, and a Monster

Chapter 5: A Captain, a Captain, and a Monster

The Village Elder perked up when he heard the man state his name.

"I didn't realize it was you Warrior Captain Stronoff," he said as he politely bowed. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at this behavior.

"Excuse me, but, you know this man?" Lucifer asked.

"Yes, Sir Dracul. Captain Stronoff here is the head warrior of the Re-Estize," the Elder said.

 _Interesting. So does that make this man the strongest warrior in the kingdom?_

Lucifer looked up at Gazef to find the man staring at him. Suddenly, Lucifer realized he hadn't introduced himself.

"My apologies Captain Stronoff. My name is Lucifer Dracul." Gazef looked around the village and saw the obvious signs of the fight that taken place here.

"What happened here?" Lucifer was about to respond when the Village Elder spoke up on his behalf.

"A number of the Slane Theocracy's men disguised as knights of the Baharuth Empire attacked the village. They would've killed us all if Sir Dracul hadn't eliminated them." Gazef's eyes widened momentarily before he jumped down from his horse and walked over to Lucifer before holding out his. Understanding the gesture, Lucifer gripped Gazef's hand in a firm handshake.

"Thank you for saving these people Sir Dracul," Gazef said with great sincerity. Cold gray eyes met sharp black eyes as Lucifer responded.

"It was no trouble. An old friend of mine had a saying "Saving someone who is in trouble is common sense."" Lucifer quoted Touch-Me. Although he still felt bitter about how his comrades abandoned the guild one by one, he would always have a soft spot for that idiot Touch-Me. Gazef grinned.

"He sounds like a good man!" Before Lucifer could respond, both his and Gazef's instincts suddenly kicked in and, although they didn't see anyone, they could feel enemies closing in on Carne Village. "Village Elder, tell everyone to get indoors," Gazef ordered sternly. The Elder didn't know what exactly was going on but knew from the expression on Gazef's face that the situation was serious so he did as he was told. After a few minutes everyone had gathered inside selected safe houses. Gazef, Lucifer and Albedo were with the Village Elder within his home along with numerous other villagers. Gazef and Lucifer were looking out the window studying the enemy forces that had appeared.

 _Those are Archangel Flames. What are creatures from Yggdrasil doing here?_

"Shit, him," Gazef muttered as he stared at a man with blonde hair and strange black eyes. He had a scar on his face and wore a black and white robe. Lucifer followed Gazef's gaze to that man.

"Do you know him Gazef?"

"Unfortunately. That bastard is Nigun Grid Luin. Captain of the Sunlight Scripture."

"I assume Sunlight Scripture is a branch of the Theocracy?"

"Correct. Those sons of bitches are responsible for many illegal activities throughout the Re-Estize Kingdom. Recently, they were sent to eradicate a demi-human village, but they were stopped by the adamantite ranked adventurers of Blue Rose, whose leader, Lakyus, is the one responsible for putting that nasty scar on Nigun's face. They've also been known to assist the Draconic Kingdom in their fights against the beastmen."

"I see," Lucifer muttered although his mid was elsewhere. If this group was considered a force to be reckoned with by this world's standards, they would be the perfect test to see where he stood on the food chain. "It seems you many enemies outside and inside your kingdom."

"Ain't that the truth," Gazef said with a sigh. He then turned back to Lucifer with a determined look in his eyes. "Sir Dracul, how much need I pay to acquire your services?" Lucifer turned his gaze towards Gazef.

"I am not accepting job requests at this time," Lucifer stated coldly. Gazef sighed.

"Then under the law of conscription, will you fight for the Re-Estize Kingdom?" as those words left his mouth, several of Gazef's guards pointed their weapons at the magic caster, who simply chuckled at their actions.

"You didn't actually expect that to work did you Gazef?" Gazef gave a wry grin as he responded.

"No, I didn't. Weapons down men." At the order of their superior, the warriors lowered their weapons. "Thank you for helping these people anyway Sir Dracul. This may be rude of me, but may I ask a favor of you?"

"Feel free."

"Should my men and I not make it, will you defend this village from those bastards?" Gazef asked. "Please, there is only…" he had begun to bow but was stopped by Lucifer.

"I understand Gazef. I swear on the name Lucifer Dracul that I will defend this village to the end," Lucifer stated seriously. Gazef grinned at the man's promise.

"Then I have nothing to fear. Thank you Sir Dracul."

"You don't need to thank me, but I would like it if you took this with you," Lucifer said as he handed Gazef a small wooden statue. Gazef wasn't sure what exactly it was, but he accepted it anyway.

"Should we both survive this I hope you'll visit my manor in E-Rantel. You would be welcomed as a friend." A small smile made its way onto Lucifer's face.

"I may just take you up on that offer." Within five minutes of the end of that conversation Gazef and his men rode off on horses in an attempt to lure Sunlight Scripture away. He and Albedo were standing side by side waiting for the magic of the item he had handed Gazef to activate. It didn't take too long. In a flash of light, Lucifer and Albedo vanished from the room leaving a dazed and beaten Gazef and his men in their place. He glanced around. One minute they had been fighting the Theocracy's angels and now he was back at the village. Gazef glanced around and saw all the villagers looking at him with confusion. Turning to the Village Elder, he asked:

"What just happened?"

"One minute Sir Dracul and that Albedo woman were standing here and then there was a flash of light. Next thing I know you and your men are here and those two disappeared!" Gazef's eyes widened as realized what must have happened. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the small wooden statue that Lucifer had given him just in time to watch it fade from existence. Gazef grinned as his legs gave out and he fell on his back.

"They're all yours Lucifer Dracul."

* * *

Nigun was not exactly sure what just happened. One minute he was about to finish off Gazef and his pathetic band of warriors and the next minute Gazef and his men were gone and were replaced by a tall, pale man clad in black with a blood red cloak and a woman in black armor who carried an enormous battle axe.

"Who the hell are you?" Nigun spat irritably. The pale man gave them a cold smile and gazed at them as if they were ants.

"Greeting Sunlight Scripture. My name is Lucifer Dracul and this my lovely companion Albedo," Lucifer said in his usual calm and commanding voice, completely oblivious to Albedo's sudden fidgeting when he called her "lovely". "I am here to offer you a once in lifetime opportunity." Nigun raised an eyebrow at this strange man.

"And what would that be Mr. Dracul?" Nigun asked purely out of curiosity. Maybe this man could deliver Gazef to him? But then he noticed the evil grin that spread across Lucifer's otherwise elegant features.

"I'm giving you a chance to leave and never come back." Several of the Scripture's men started to laugh at the impudence of this magic caster. Who did he think he was? Even Nigun let out a small chuckle.

"You have amused me and that is enough for me to let you Dracul. Now step aside we have village to burn down and a Warrior Captain to slay."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that," Lucifer said sternly as a black aura engulfed his body. "I swore on my name that I would not allow harm to come to Carne Village. Should you try to make it past me you will not find the key to your mission's success. All you will find is death." The sun had started to set and they heard whispers of agony and death all around. The men under Nigun's command suddenly felt something they had not felt in a long time. Fear. Nigun felt it too. For a moment, just one moment, he felt completely vulnerable. It was at that moment he made the biggest and last mistake of his life.

"Archangels! Attack!" Having been given their orders, two Archangel Flames sped towards Lucifer and stabbed him through his midsection. Nigun let out a sigh of relief and scoffed. "I guess you were all talk after all." Then his eyes widened ad he heard something. It was laughter. Quiet laughter that slowly becoming louder and louder. Nigun dared to look back at the Archangels went cold at what he saw. This couldn't be right. Not only was Lucifer not dead after receiving two holy blades to the chest, but he had grabbed the Archangels by their heads and was laughing at them.

"This can't be happening!" one soldier cried.

"It's a trick! It must be!" another yelled.

"Impossible," Nigun breathed.

"Did you really that something this weak would harm ME?" Lucifer called out with a laugh.

 _Gotta love high tier nullification!_

Deciding not make a show of it anymore, Lucifer simply crushed the Archangels skulls in his hands using nothing more than pure brute strength and dropped their corpses to the ground. Nigun stared at him for a moment before coming to his senses.

"ALL ARCHANGELS ATTACK! **KILL THAT BASTARD**!" Nigun screamed. As per their orders, every single Archangel sped towards Lucifer.

"Albedo would you excuse yourself for a moment?" Lucifer asked completely unconcerned about the numerous opponents headed straight for him.

"Yes my lord." And with the quick response, Albedo vanished in the blink on an eye. Lucifer waited a few more seconds or his opponents to get in close before unleashing his attack.

"[Negative Burst]!" A dark shockwave erupted from Lucifer wiping out any trace of the opposition's angels.

 _As I thought. The Archangel Flames are exactly the same as the ones from Yggdrasil. Where did these humans get them from?_

"What? How did-?" Nigun stopped his stuttering when he remembered what Gazef had said to him during their brief fight. "Just wait until the man in the village comes for you". Nigun desperately looked to the only angel that was left, Principality of Observation. "Principality of Observation! Kill him! Kill him kill him kill him kill him!" Having received its orders, the heavily armored angel approached Lucifer and, with a powerful overhead swing, brought its Warhammer down on him. Lucifer should've been flattened, but, much to Nigun's to despair, he simply stopped it with a single hand. He could hear the mysterious magic caster's mocking laughter from where he sat on his horse.

"Pathetic. [Hell Flame]." From the pointer finger of Lucifer's free hand, a tiny black flame appeared, attached itself to the angel, and instantly engulfed it in black flames that burnt it until there was nothing left but dust.

"No! No! No!" Nigun shouted. He was in an absolute panic. It took a moment, but Nigun cleared his head and pulled out a summoning crystal before issuing new orders to his subordinates. "Hold him back! I need time to summon the most powerful angel!" With hope reignited in their hearts, they started casting spell after spell at Lucifer.

"[Holy Ray]!"

"[Shockwave]!"

"[Paralyze]!"

"[Fireball]!"

"[Fear]!"

"[Frost]!"

"[Poison]!"

"[Torrent]!"

 _Yup. Those are spells from Yggdrasil alright._

The Theocracy's continued their barrage of spells but all they heard was Lucifer's mocking laughter. One man tried using a slingshot to launch a bowling ball sized rock at him. With a laugh, Lucifer simply backhanded the large rock and sent it straight back at the man which ended with the poor man's head being blown clean off and his neck spewed blood on those unfortunate enough to be standing close by.

"Finally!" Nigun was on the verge of tears when the crystal finally activated revealing the so called "most powerful angel." "Behold Lucifer Dracul! The angel of the highest order, Dominion Authority!" His men started cheering. They were going to live! Lucifer simply stared at the weird looking angel with an eyebrow raised. "I have determined that you an adversary worthy of facing this most divine being. Although it is shame to kill a sorcerer of your prowess when you could have worked with your fellow humans in the Slane Theocracy, you are an enemy the Six Great Gods and therefore you must-" Lucifer had gotten sick of the ranting at this point so he decided to simply end it. And so he pointed at this so called "mightiest of angels" and said, without a shred of enthusiasm in his voice:

"[Black Hole]." A sphere so dark it seemed to suck the light from appeared on the angel and swallowed it whole. Everyone was silent.

"Was that it?" Lucifer asked. Nigun was sweating buckets.

"Y-y-you're not human. You can't be! You're a demon god! You must be! Only a demon god could defeat the angel that saved humanity from the Eight Greed Kings!" Nigun ranted.

 _Oh? It sounds to me that players have been here before. This fool might be useful. With the Theocracy's human centric views and Nazarick's inhabitants all being demi-humans and heteromorphic creatures, another conflict with them is inevitable if I want to take over the world. Besides, I could use a spy in their midst._

"Not quite, human," Lucifer said smugly as he reactivated his racial traits. His fangs extended and his eyes changed from a steely gray back to his usual crimson red. He grinned a crooked grin revealing his fangs to the fools who dared to oppose him.

"V-vampire," Nigun managed to whisper before he saw something that filled him with dread. Lucifer had started walking towards him. "STAY BACK!" A mere two seconds after he screamed that, a crack in the sky appeared and a shattering noise echoed across the plain before the crack vanished again. "W-what was that?"

"It appears the Theocracy was Intelligence Magic to monitor you. But now that I have entered its range, my [Anti-Intelligence Magic Wall] has destroyed its effect," Lucifer spoke as if he was commenting on the weather.

"My country was watching me?" Nigun asked to no one in particular. "Why would-" before he could finish that statement, Lucifer transformed into a swarm of bats and raced across the field right towards Nigun. Before Nigun could react a hand materialized from the swarm and grabbed him the throat. Nigun's remaining men panicked and ran as fast they could. Lucifer smirked.

"Albedo, would you mind killing the rest?" From out of nowhere Albedo reappeared in front of the fleeing soldiers cutting off their escape. They were doomed.

"Of course my love," Albedo replied with a flourish of her axe. Nigun, struggling in Lucifer's grasp, couldn't see what was happening behind do to Lucifer's fist clenched around his throat, him but he could hear his men screaming.

"Wh-What are you going to do with me?" Nigun stammered out while praying the wet sensation he felt was sweat and that he had managed to maintain some semblance of dignity by not soiling himself. Lucifer grinned in response.

"I'm going to turn you against your so-called gods whether you like it or not!" With that said he plunged his canines into Nigun's neck.

"SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The mission had been a complete success and Lucifer now knew where he stood on this world's food chain. At the very goddamn top.

* * *

Lucifer finally made it back to Carne Village after he had once again deactivated a few of his vampiric traits. As he approached, all the villagers started cheering for him and Gazef ran up to him.

"You made Sir Dracul!" Gazef exclaimed with a grin. Lucifer simply chuckled.

"Was there ever any doubt?"

"Where is Lady Albedo?" Gazef asked with concern in his eyes.

"She is fine. She's making sure the enemy don't double back and try to attack us again." In reality, Albedo was leading the Nazarick Elder Guarders in a swift cleanup of the enemies corpses to turn into Death Knights and Elder Liches.

"What happened out there?"

"I put the fear of their gods into the enemy forces and forced them to retreat," Lucifer lied. What? Was he supposed to say that he was collecting corpses to create his own army? Hell no. Gazef furrowed his eyebrow as he had a feeling the pale magic caster wasn't being entirely honest with him, but he let it slide.

"Thank Sir Dracul." Gazef said with a grateful bow. He then smirked and added: "I owe you a drink."

"I'm a man of my word Gazef. I swore I would protect this village and so I did," Lucifer said dismissively. Gazef stood up and stared at him.

"Not just that, but you saved my men and I back there," Gazef said solemnly.

"Of course I did. I couldn't let my new friend die could I?" Lucifer said with a smirk. "How are you and your men anyway?"

"We took a beating but we'll live."

"I am capable of using healing magic. May I be of assistance?" Lucifer offered. Gaze grinned.

"I would be most grateful." It would be another hour before Gazef and his men were finally ready to leave. Gazef pulled up beside Lucifer on his horse and called him out. "Sir Dracul!" Lucifer who was ready to leave by this point hid his frustration at being held up and put on a convincing grin.

"Yes, Gazef?"

"His highness, King Ramposa III, is holding a formal party amongst the nobility in two months. It will be a painfully dull gathering, but I'm sure your presence would liven things up a bit and the king would never forgive me if I didn't extend an invitation to you seeing as how you saved my ass. Interested?" Lucifer smirked.

"I'll be there. Take care of yourself Gazef and try not to die until I get that drink you owe me." Gazef let out a hearty laugh in response as he and his men galloped off back to E-Rantel. Lucifer watched them go. "That man is a rare specimen among an otherwise relatively unimpressive species." He said to himself as his face twisted into an evil grin. "He will make a most excellent pawn."

* * *

Several hours had passed and Lucifer was once again he was sitting in his throne with the Floor Guardians gathered before him.

"First of all everyone, I would like to apologize for acting rashly, but it was needed and we have benefitted from it. Of course, Albedo will have already told what transpired. Didn't you Albedo?"

"Yes," Albedo spoke. "I am sorry if I have displeased you my lord."

"Not at all. You have saved us some time," Lucifer said with a nod. "For our second order of business, I would like you all to meet the latest addition to our forces, Nigun Grid Luin." And with that he gestured to the man on his left. Apart from the red eyes, fangs, and the fact his skin had become drastically paler, Nigun looked almost exactly the same as he had before Lucifer had turned him into a Vampire Lord. The Floor Guardians stared at the newcomer while Albedo outright glared.

"Thank you for allowing me to be of service to my lord," Nigun said with a bow. The Floor Guardians loosened up and Albedo gave a nod of approval seeing as this outsider fully understood his place in Nazarick. Lucifer nodded.

"Shaltear, I will leave Nigun in your care," Lucifer's words seemed to be more of an order than a statement. "Teach him the vampiric arts and report back to me once he has achieved acceptable control over his new powers."

"Yes, my lord," Shaltear replied with a bow, happy to be of use to her master.

"And I have one more announcement to make," as he raised his hand and silently cast a spell. Suddenly, all of the banners in Nazarick caught fire but were not damaged at all. Once the fires disappeared, the Floor Guardians could see that all the banners had changed from the symbol of Ainz Ooal Gown to a fanged skull with bat wings sprouting from the sides of its head. " **I have changed my name! From now on you shall know me as LUCIFER DRACUL**! Are there any objections?" The denizens of Nazarick all bowed before their ruler.

"We know your previous name and treasure it," Albedo replied. "We now know your new name and praise it. Glory to Lucifer Dracul!"

"GLORY TO LUCIFER DRACUL!" Lucifer's subjects praised their master.

"We shall serve you for eternity, father!" Shaltear exclaimed.

"The lord of life and death!" Demiurge said with a faint hiss.

"Our. Great. King." Cocytus stated.

"The ruler of Nazarick!" the twins exclaimed.

"He who is supreme even among the Supreme Beings," Corvo said solemnly.

"Our master," was all Sebas said.

"The one true God!" Nigun proclaimed.

 **"** **My guardians!"** Lucifer boomed. **"Heed my words! We will make this world our own! We will gather intelligence, raise armies, and lay the groundwork for our ascension! And we reveal ourselves to the world, those in power will cower at the very mention of my name! The entire world will bow before me and Nazarick will rise above all!"** Everyone cheered for their master once again. **"Let me be perfectly clear, our goal is TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION!"**

* * *

 **This is going to be the last chapter I post for tonight, but I'm already halfway done with another one so I'll be adding a few more chapters tomorrow!**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	7. Newbie's Intel

Chapter 6: Newbie's Intel

Two weeks had passed since the events at Carne Village. Lucifer had been going over the information Nigun had provided him. The three major powers Nazarick was surrounded by were the Baharuth Empire, the Re-Estize Kingdom, and, of course, the Slane Theocracy. Based off of what Nigun had told him, the Re-Estize Kingdom was the weakest country as constant sabre rattling with the Empire had weakened its infrastructure, which was all part of the Blood Empreor Jircniv's plan. The Kingdom was expected to collapse within the next five years. Next was the Baharuth Empire which, unlike the Kingdom, had a professional military instead of just drafted serfs. Their Emperor was, according to Nigun's reports, an ambitious and brilliant man, which Lucifer thought was fortunate. After all, an above average human was easier to predict than a total idiot. The final, and most disturbing, report was on the Slane Theocracy. What unnerved Lucifer wasn't the fact they had the largest military in the world or the fact that they had a large slave labor market. It was that this Black Scripture had Divine Class gear and worse: World Items. Thanks to Nigun, he now knew that the Slane Theocracy was in possession on at least two World Class Items. [Downfall of Castle and Country], an item that can mind control any creature without fail, even an undead who are immune to mind effects, and [Wrath of God], which could summon one hundred angels from level 85-95, which would be a challenge even for the Floor Guardians. There was a suspected third World Item but Nigun had no information on it, only the rumor that it existed.

Even more disturbing was what he learned about the Six Great Gods. They had been members of an RP group called "The Eight Paladins" in which they role-played as people chosen by the gods to save humanity from the horrors of nonhumans. So whenever they left their base to do battle, they always made sure to specifically target nonhuman players, as per their RP manifesto which, obviously, brought them into conflict with Ainz Ooal Gown, which had no human players, multiple times. They were EXTREMELY hardcore role-players. He heard that one of them had even made an in-game roleplaying journal in which he took every single thing they did in Yggdrasil, how their guild formed, every guild battle, every NPC they ever fought, and recorded it in the style of an epic tale written down by of those who took part in the adventure. Nigun, being a high ranking member of the Theocracy, obviously knew the gods' real names. Surshana, the god of death, Alah Alaf: the god of life, Arthor: god of wind, Wasser: god of water, Hexel: god of earth, and Sadao: god of fire. So out of the eight, the only ones unaccounted for were Meridia and Brimir. Maybe there were sent to another world or maybe they weren't online at the time of the shutdown. Who knows?

Additionally, Nigun told him his limited in knowledge about the Eight Greed Kings and the Thirteen Heroes. Apparently, the Eight Greed Kings had appeared approximately 500 years ago and had set out to conquer the world. Their reign, however was incredibly short-lived as the tore each other apart due to internal conflict. The most mentionable thing the left behind was the floating castle of Eryuentiu. Based off the stories of their great power they were most likely players, but Nigun had no information as to who they may have been. Someone Lucifer knew perhaps? The Thirteen Heroes, were a group of legendary figures who banded together approximately 200 years ago to fight beings known as the Evil Deities, which Lucifer hypothesized were the NPCs who served the Eight Greed Kings and, with the demise of their masters, no longer had a purpose and simply wrought death and destruction to all who crossed them. Judging by the overall strength of the Heroes, they were relatively low level and two out of the group were actual players while the rest were indigenous to this world. Apparently, these two players ended up killing each other for reasons unknown. Also, there had actually been more than thirteen of them, but people did not count the nonhumans, such as the vampire, Landfall, among them.

Finally, Nigun was able to provide dossiers on the Black Scripture, the Six Cardinals, and other key members of the Theocracy. The only one that really caught his attention was one of the God-Kin: Zesshi Zetsumei. Origins? Confidential. Heritage? Confidential. Almost everything about her was kept a secret. Nigun, despite his rank, wasn't even supposed to know of her existence and only knew because he had eavesdropped on a meeting between Zesshi and the Cardinals. Apparently, she had been reporting in after slaying a Dragon Lord and was complaining that it was too easy. Out of all the other God-Kin, she was the only one who didn't have her heritage listed. Based off of the Theocracy's human centric views combined with her supposed inhuman strength, he concluded that the reason her heritage was kept a secret was because she wasn't actually a human at all. Lucifer wasn't sure what she was, but DEFINITELY not human. Currently, Lucifer was laying in his black coffin, which was big enough to fit three of him in there, staring up at the ceiling. He had woken up feeling absolutely spectacular.

 _I knew vampires got buffs from sleeping in a coffin, but I didn't think it would feel so satisfying!_

He had been mulling over what he would tell people once he revealed himself to the world ever since he woke up. He didn't actually need to sleep, but, as a vampire, sleeping in a coffin did give him +5 health regeneration for three hours. Sure he wanted to rule the world, but he also wanted loyal subjects. It was unlikely that people would follow him, an undead, and help him dominate the world just for the sake of dominating.

 _An end to repetitive mistakes made throughout history? No they won't understand. To create a perfect world? I guess that can be part of it. Perhaps to unite all human, demi-human,_ and _heteromorphic races? Or maybe a world without war? It's hard to have a war if there's no one to go to war with. That would definitely appeal to the peasants of Re-Estize since they're constantly being drafted into the Kingdom's war with the Empire._

With a sigh, he pulled himself out pf his coffin, got dressed in his usual black leather armor and red cloak, and walked over to his coffin-shaped mirror. As a vampire, he couldn't see himself in the mirror but he could see his clothes so, in the mirror, he basically looked like the Headless Horseman. He had spent the past three days practicing poses in the mirror whenever he was sure no one was watching. He felt like a ruler and, in his opinion, looked like a ruler, but he was worried that he may have a little trouble acting like a ruler. He wanted to give the NPCs the leader they deserved and, as the ruler of Nazarick, nothing less than perfection was acceptable. He had been rehearsing his "You're making too much noise. Quiet down." hand motion when he heard a knock on his door.

"F-father?" came Shaltear's voice. She sounded like she was struggling to hold in laughter. "N-Nigun and I are here to make our report." Lucifer wasn't sure what was going on but he decided it was best to get it over with.

"You may enter," he said as moved away from the mirror and folded his arms behind his back in a dignified manner. Now that she had permission, Shaltear opened the door and strode into the dark room closely followed by Nigun. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Shaltear was trying to refrain from laughing about. Someone had childishly drawn a monocle and moustache on his face with magic marked and Nigun, as a vampire, was completely unaware since he couldn't see his own reflection. Shaltear's cheeks were puffed up as she tried to hold in here laughter. Nigun was completely oblivious. "Nigun," Lucifer decided to just be blunt. "What is that on your face?" Shaltear finally burst out laughing and started rolling around on the red carpet. Nigun stared at Shaltear in confusion before looking to his master.

"What do you mean my lord?"

"It appears someone has drawn a moustache and a monocle on you." Realization seemed to dawn on Nigun.

"Ah, I suppose this would be Lady Fiore's revenge for yesterday," Nigun stated, clearly embarrassed. Lucifer sighed. After coming to Nazarick, Shaltear had been training Nigun on the Sixth floor which brought him into contact with the elves, Aura and Mare. Old habits die hard and apparently one of Nigun's old habits was his dislike of elves. Upon meeting the twins, Nigun complained about the fact they were elves AND children. He shut up after Aura had decided it was good idea to start bench-pressing him. Embarrassed and given a reminder of his position below the elves, he acknowledged them as his superiors and apologized. However, being a petty man, he took vengeance upon Aura by swapping out the water in her canteen with hot sauce he acquired from Sous-chef. Apparently, Aura had a low tolerance for spicy food. She of course retaliated and sparked what was essentially a prank war between the two. Nigun's latest attempt to antagonize Aura had been turning into a bat and flying around the Sixth Floor's forest with her whip forcing her to chase after him. The marker had been Aura's revenge. In all honesty, he should have stopped the two, but their antics reminded him of all the times Luci Fer and Demiurge's creator, Ulbert Alain Odle, would antagonize each other with their rivalry originating from the fact that Luci Fer stole the username Ulbert wanted.

 _Dammit. I just realized I basically stole Luci Fer's name. It's too late to change it now. I am undead, maybe I can just change my name again after a couple hundred years? I don't want to seem like some inconsistent fool who changes his mind every twenty minutes!_

Realizing he had been quiet for too long and that Shaltear had finally stopped laughing, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"What do you have to report?" Shaltear perked up as she heard her father speak again.

"I have completed the first stage of Nigun's training," Shaltear stated as she placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest proudly. "He has full control of his powers and has been taught to adequately control his thirst for blood. I will now begin training him to hide his vampiric nature and appear completely human as per mission requirements." Lucifer nodded.

"Excellent work Shaltear," he said as pulled two folders off his desk and handed one to Nigun while handing the other to Shaltear. "Nigun, this document contains details pertaining to your assignment once your training is complete. Shaltear, please give the other document to Corvo." Nigun's eyes widened. He was finally going to be of use to his god!

"Thank you my master! I will not let you down!" Nigun exclaimed as he bowed deeply. Shaltear gave a small smile at the newcomer's worship of her father. Lucifer motioned for Nigun to rise. All this praise he had been receiving was starting to unnerve him. Sure, he enjoyed being glorified by his servants, even if he would never admit it, but for them to act like this every time he said so much as two words to them? It made him a little uncomfortable.

"Shaltear," he said as he decided to ignore his own discomfort. "Once Nigun's training is complete you are to rendezvous with Sebas and Solution. Assist them in their hunt for those with dangerous martial arts and abilities.

"As you decree, father," Shaltear replied with a smile. Then her gaze shifted to something behind Lucifer and she frowned. Whatever it was she saw, Nigun noticed it too and a blush worked its way onto his pale features. "We'll take our leave father, I believe Albedo would like to speak with you." And with that, Shaltear abruptly turned around and exited the room closely followed by Nigun.

 _What the hell was that about? What about Albedo?_

"I think it was unexpectedly polite of your daughter to leave us. Don't you agree my love?" a familiar, angelic voice asked from behind him. Lucifer, whose state of undeath allowed him to hide his shock perfectly, turned around to find Albedo sitting up in his coffin with nothing covering her other than a red silk bedsheet.

 _HOW THE HELL DID SHE GET HERE!?_

"Albedo, how long have you been there?" Lucifer asked calmly. Albedo cutely tilted her head in response.

"What do you mean? I had been sleeping here waiting for you to finish going over Nigun's reports. When you finally came you just got into bed with me. I didn't even have to ask!" Albedo stated happily. That's Lucifer noticed Albedo's white gown crumpled in the corner of the room. She had been here since before he had gone to sleep. He was on the verge of losing his undead emotion control when Albedo added in her finishing move. "Since I am aspiring to become the most worthy bride I can possibly be for you…"

 _BRIDE!? Well she is really hot and clearly she is head over heels for me- DAMMIT NO! DO NOT THINK LIKE THAT!_

"... I thought it would be best if I serviced you as you slept," she said and with a seductive lick of her lips she added: "You were delicious." On the outside, Lucifer's emotion control broke a just a millisecond. All that got through was that his eyelid twitched twice before the emotion control kicked back in and was forcibly calmed. His mind was still in a frenzy however.

 _IS THAT WHY I FELT SO GOOD WHEN I WOKE UP!?_

"I'm sorry my lord, did displease you?" Albedo asked as she clasped her hands together over her heart with an innocent look on her face.

 _SHIT! Play it off! Play it off! Play it off!_

"You did nothing wrong Albedo," Lucifer replied calmly. "I was simply wondering how long you had been waiting for me to finish speaking with Shaltear." Albedo simply stared at him for moment.

 _Did she buy it?_

"My lord is so kind to be concerned for us, his subjects," Albedo gushed. Lucifer blinked.

 _That worked? That actually worked? Hell yeah!_

"Moving along," Lucifer said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "I believe you wish t speak with me."

"Yes my lord," Albedo said as expression turned serious. "While Nigun's information on the Slane Theocracy was quite thorough, we still do not know much about the key figures of the Baharuth Empire or the Re-Estize Kingdom."

"Yes. We need a way to gather intelligence about the other two countries, analyze the potential threat posed by adamantite adventurers, find someone who know the properties of herbs and other items in this new world, and find a way to keep the inhabitants of E-Rantel from rebelling when we take control," Lucifer went over his to-do-list out loud before smirking. "Thanks to Nigun's information however, Demiurge and I believe we have a solution to these problems."

"Oh? Do tell."

 **That may have been the most uncomfortable thing I've ever written. So happy, so carefree,** **and worst of all...** **NO ONE DIED!**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	8. The Dark Knight

Chapter 7: The Dark Knight

It was business as usual at the E-Rantel Adventurer's Guild. There were fools getting drunk, adventurers getting into fights, and warriors checking out job requests. However, this would be a day that those who were present would always remember. It was the day HE showed up. A tall figure in dark armor wearing a red cape swung the door open and walked in like he owned the place closely followed by a beautiful woman with dark hair. She would be even more gorgeous if she would stop glaring at everyone.

"You see that guy's armor?"

"I would kill for a set like that."

"Probably just some noble looking to play hero."

"Meh."

"Check out the girl!"

"Screw the girl! Check out that guy's ass. Day-um!"

The armored man walked up to the counter and spoke in a calm yet commanding voice.

"I would like a double room." The bartender looked up at this behemoth of a man and then noticed his copper plate.

"Yer just a Copper Plate. A double room is 5 copper coins but what you really want is the communal hall so you can form a team," the gruff bartender said.

"I understand what you're saying and your comments are valuable….. but I'm going to ignore your advice. A double room please."

"Brushing off my goodwill like that…. Now it's 7 copper coins!"

"Don't try to pull that with me!" the armored giant leaned over the counter.

"What are you going to do about it?" the bartender didn't back down.

"I'm going to rip out your skull and beat you to death with it."

"That's not physically possible!"

"Funny. That's what the last guy said." The two continued to stare each other down until the bartender finally backed off.

"You got guts kid. 5 copper it is," he said with a huff. "Your room is the third room to the left on the second floor."

"Thank you," the tall man said as he gently laid 5 copper coins onto the counter. As he started heading towards the stairs with his companion in tow when some wiseass decided to stick his foot in their way. The armored man rolled his eyes under his helmet and kicked the man's foot out of the way.

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are?" the wiseass exclaimed.

"Momon," the armored man stated simply.

"What?"

"That is my name: Momon." The wiseass now turned his attention to the beautiful woman behind the giant now identified as Momon.

"Now ain't she a hot piece of ass. Tell you what newbie, give us a night with her and we'll call it even." The woman growled at the wiseass as Momon laughed.

"You have no idea how easy it would be to break you in two," Momon chuckled.

"What? You think you, a Copper Plate, stand a chance against me and boys who are Iron Plates? HA!" Without warning a metal gauntlet wrapped its fingers around the wiseass's neck and hoisted him into the air.

"Yes," was all Momon said before he tossed him away. The wiseass flew over the other patrons and collided with the wall on the other side of the room before landing on a table in front of some redhead, smashing a bottle as he landed. He then glared at the man's partners, who were sweating nervously. "Anyone else? I didn't think so-"

"YOU!" a woman's voice cried out. Momon turned around. That redhead pointing at him in an accusatory fashion. "Do you have any idea what you've just done!?" Momon tilted his head to get a good view of the table he had just seen her sitting at.

"I assume you are talking about your potion that gentleman has unfortunately smashed," Momon stated unconcerned.

 _This woman matches Nigun's description._

"Yeah! Do you know how long I-"

"Before you go off on a rant could you tell me your name?" Momon asked.

"My name is Brita!" she proclaimed with a huff.

 _So it is her._

Before she could say anything else, Momon held up a blood red potion and handed it to her.

"Consider this your compensation, Brita," Momon said. With a whirl of his caped he turned back around and headed upstairs with the black haired beauty close behind. The moment they were out of sight, everyone started talking excitedly about the newcomers.

"Did you see that?"

"That guy might be able to bench press a horse!"

"That girl scares the hell out of me."

"He's as tough as he looks!"

"Meh."

"Do you really think that guy can tear out someone's skull and beat them to death with it?"

"No way that's not physically possible!"

"Scary."

"No weapons other than those two huge swords on his back, he must be confident."

"Or foolish."

"How are we gonna deal with them?"

"How do you think he looks under that armor?"

"Do you think they're doing it?"

Brita ignored the conversations happening around her as she stared at the potion Momon had given her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. There was only one person she trusted to examine a rare potion like this. Without anyone noticing, she headed out the door and started walking down the street.

* * *

Momon took off his helmet and thanks to [Mortal's Mask], a spell that allowed him to take the face of someone whose blood he drank, he looked completely different and completely human (His face as Momon makes him look like Shay Cormac from Assassin's Creed Rogue). After checking the room to make sure no one could see them and using [Anti-Intelligence Magic Wall], he dispelled [Mortal's Mask] and his true face: Lucifer Dracul.

"Lord Dracul, why did you give a human such a valuable potion?" his female companion asked.

"She is part of why we're here," Momon said as he placed his helmet on the bed. "And as long as we're undercover you are to call me Momon, not Lucifer Dracul, and you are Nabe, not Narberal Gamma."

"Yes Lord Momon!" Nabe said.

"Just Momon! No lord or anything similar!"

"Yes Momon…. Sir." Nabe after struggling with herself for a moment.

"Hmm, close enough I suppose," Momon said with a sigh.

"Sir Momon, please enlighten this foolish one as to how this woman pertains to your plans."

 _Stop being so damn formal! *Sigh* This is as close as I'm going to get isn't it?_

"As you are well aware, we are experiencing an issue when it comes to potions, herbs, and other resources native to this world. We need someone who has extensive knowledge of these resources who we can use. And from Nigun's reports, a boy named Nfirea Bareare is our best bet." Nabe furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"So what does that have to with that lower lifeform?"

"That woman, Brita, is an associate of the Bareare Pharmacists. I have just given her a potion she has never seen before so she will obviously take it to be appraised the Bareares who she trusts. What we know as a Minor Healing Potion, this world knows as a legendary potion they call the Blood of God. That potion will no doubt make its way into Nfirea's hands by the time the sun goes down. Are you following Nabe?"

"Yes, sir," Nabe said with a nod although she looked a bit confused.

"According to Nigun, the Theocracy was planning to use forbidden knowledge to lure out Nfirea and capture him so they could cultivate his ability to use ANY magical item, which is an additional reason I want to acquire him. From this information we can assume that Nfirea has a natural thirst for knowledge. Brita will surely inform him who gave her the potion and so with the opportunity to learn how to create the Blood of God, he will come to me himself," Momon finished with a sense of self satisfaction.

"I see, but Sir Momon, wouldn't it be more effective to simply abduct this human?" Nabe asked. Momon shook his head.

"No. I want him to work for me willingly. If he's willing he is more likely to work diligently and effectively becoming a great boon for Nazarick," he said as he put his helmet back on. "If we make him serve us against his will, he would be unproductive and search for a means to escape or rebel. Slave labor is an inefficient solution which would cost us in the long term."

"I see. I apologize for my shortsightedness Sir Momon," Nabe said remorsefully.

"It's fine Nabe."

"I shall take my own life in atonement," she said as she drew her blade.

 _Seriously?_

"I'd rather you didn't," Momon said with a sigh.

"As you say, sir," Nabe said as she skillfully sheathed her blade.

 _I'm beginning to think it was a mistake bringing her._

* * *

Bonus Story: Training with Shaltear

Nigun was lying flat on his back cowering before his mistress as she slowly approached with… whatever that thing was.

"You failed again Nigun!" Shaltear exclaimed as she held up a long, spiked, black, dick-shaped object. Aura smiled triumphantly as she watched Shaltear about to….. she wasn't sure what Shaltear was doing but she knew it would hurt Nigun and that's what mattered. His master's words suddenly went through Nigun's head.

 _Be careful around Shaltear. She is a necrophiliac and now that you're undead, in Shaltear's eyes, you're fair game._

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" Nigun wailed and kicked out. He foot connected with Shaltear's chest. Unfortunately for him, the angle at which his foot connected with her chest sent all the tissue paper she had stuffed into her bra flying out. Aura doubled over laughing while Shaltear simply fumed. Then from out of nowhere she pulled out yet another spiked dildo and slowly approached Nigun.

"I was going to be gentle. BUT NOW I'M GONNA MAKE IT HURT! THESE TOOLS WERE LEFT TO ME BY MY CREATOR PERORONCINO TO MAKES ASSES SORE! AND YOU WILL BE THE SOREST ASS OF ALL!"

It was at this moment Nigun realized…. He fucked up. Cocytus happened to be walking by at this exact moment and saw what was happening. While he didn't really care what Shaltear did, he felt that Aura shouldn't be watching this. So he picked her up and carried her away.

"Hey! Stop Cocytus!"

"You. Do. Not. Want. To. See. This."

"But-"

"When. You. Are. Older."

"But-"

"WHEN. YOU. ARE. OLDER." Aura didn't get to see the show, but she did hear noises.

"NO! STOP MISTRESS BLOODFALLEN! PLEA-!" Nigun was cut off by a scream and then some sort gulping noise.

Noises that still haunt her to this day.


	9. Setting the Stage

Chapter 8: Setting the Stage

Location: Slane Theocracy, Entrance to the Capital City of the Slane Theocracy: The Holy City of Humanika.

 _Stupid name._

That's what Corvo thought as he and Nigun approached the gate. He wasn't wearing his mask and had his hood down revealing his sharp eyes, ruggedly handsome face, messy hair, a trimmed beard, and a permanent scowl. Nigun, whose hair had grown enough so that he now held it in a ponytail and had grown some stubble on his face, was wearing his old Slane Theocracy uniform, although it had been roughed up and torn in several places to match his cover story. He was absolutely ecstatic that he was finally going to be of use to his master. After he had told his master everything he knew about the Theocracy, legends of what his masters sometimes referred to as "Players", whatever that meant, and the surrounding countries; he had spent the past four weeks undergoing grueling training under Mistress Bloodfallen and 3 days ago, he was finally deemed ready to go on a mission. Nigun shuddered as he remembered the "punishments" his mistress would deal out when he failed, partially because after that he hadn't to sit down or eat properly for the two days that followed and partially because he enjoyed it although he would never admit his newfound proclivity for masochism. Despite that, he had learned to control his new vampiric abilities in order to disguise his true self so that he would appear to be, in all appearances, a regular human, just like his master had done when they first met. He and Corvo had been given their cover stories and were sent to go spy on the Theocracy. They were about to enter the city when a guard called them out.

"Halt! Please state your business here," the knight inquired. Nigun straightened up, remembered his lord's instructions, and, thanks to his new undead body, kept calm.

"I am Nigun Grid Luin, Captain of the Sunlight Scripture," he said. The guard looked at him in surprise.

"Sir? We heard you and the rest of Sunlight Scripture were killed," the knight said. Nigun made a convincing mournful face and looked down.

"That isn't too far from the truth," he solemnly. The knight gave Nigun a look of remorse before turning his attention to the other man, Corvo.

"Who is he?"

"The man who saved my life," Nigun lied. The knight shook his head.

"This is way above my pay grade. You'll have to see the Cardinals. I'll send word that you're back, sir."

"My thanks." And with that the two entered the city without the knight noticing that shadows didn't entirely seem to match their shapes, as if there were several shadows hiding within their shadows. These were Shadow Demons. While these creatures were relatively weak compared to most of Nazarick being only level 30, but excelled at stealth. Corvo took in the view of Humanika as they entered the city. While Re-Estize architecture looked like medieval England, this place looked more like Vatican City.

"You remember where to go right?" Nigun asked his commanding officer.

"Yes," Corvo said quietly. He was a man of few words. Nigun could respect that. He could also respect the fact that this man was more than likely the single most dangerous person in this city. He might even be able to kill HER. With that, the two went their separate ways. Nigun headed toward the Shrine of the First Miko while Corvo went into the seedier part of the city.

As Corvo made his way to through the less reputable part of town, he heard a woman calling out to passing pedestrians.

"Human status for elves! Only we can make a change!" she called as she handed out pamphlets. She was stunning. She didn't compare to Albedo, but she was still very beautiful. Black hair tied up in a bun, tan skin, a smile that could warm anyone's heart, and form fitting high-end black clothes that hugged her curves. Not to mention her big beautiful … brown eyes. Obviously, Corvo didn't give a flying fuck and walked right past her. That is, until he heard a loud smack and several of the pamphlets flew past him. He spun around to see two large men standing over her.

"Filthy blasphemer!" one of them yelled, obviously drunk. "Telling us to make nice with elves!"

"You sure you're human ya stupid cunt?" the other one bellowed. "I say we cut this bitch open and make sure her blood is red!" Corvo was much like Sebas, he didn't like watching innocents attacked or people act like assholes, but he was colder and wouldn't mind if terrible things happened as long as his creator was happy. However, as he looked around, no one budged to help this woman. As a matter of fact, most of them seemed to smirk at the woman's pain saying things like:

"What did she expect?"

"Filthy blasphemer."

"That's what you get."

"About time someone put that elf lover in her place."

Corvo, having had enough, stomped over to the woman.

"Please, you're drunk," the woman pleaded.

"Fuck you!" drunk idiot #1 shouted as brought his hand up to hit her again. Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm in a firm grip. He turned around to find it was Corvo, obviously, who had grabbed him.

"Leave," was all Corvo said.

"Fuck off! This isn't any of your-" he didn't get to finish that statement as Corvo's fist collided with the side of his face so hard it sent the drunk spinning before he collapsed on the ground. That's when drunk #2 decided to join in and threw a punch that Corvo easily evaded simply by shifting his stance and delivered a hard kick to side of the man's knee causing him to fall onto that knee. Before the man could even pick himself up he received another kick right to his face which knocked him to the ground. He groaned in pain and as he tried to sit up Corvo put his boot on the man's throat and stared down at the fool.

"Tell your friend when he wakes up," Corvo said coldly. "If I ever see you idiots again I will gouge out your eyes and feed them to you." With that said he pulled out the ultimate eye gouging weapon from one of his pockets and pointed it at him: a spoon. The man gulped in fear as Corvo removed his boot. "Leave." He didn't have to be told twice. He grabbed his companion's unconscious form and dragged him away as fast he could. That day they those two drunks learned a valuable lesson: never fuck with a man with a spoon. With that taken care of, Corvo pocketed his spoon and continued on his way. Not even a minute later, he heard that woman again.

"Excuse me?" he ignored her.

"Um, excuse me?" he still ignored her.

"Sir!" he felt a soft hand grab his arm. He spun around and, being 6ft4in, glared down at the 5ft4in woman.

"What?" he demanded as he glared into her fearful eyes.

"Uh-um, th-thank you for helping me," she stammered. Corvo, whose heart wasn't moved at all by this beautiful, nervous woman simply growled out:

"Yer welcome," before walking away at a quick pace.

 _She still following me isn't she?_

He turned around and, sure enough, there she was jogging to keep up with him.

"What now?" he demanded. She smiled at him, seemingly undeterred by his attitude and asked.

"Is there any way I could help you?"

"No," he stated coldly. She pouted in response and gave him puppy dog eyes. Corvo let out a sigh.

 _What a weird woman. The sooner I let her help me the sooner I can get rid of her._

"I suppose I could use some help finding the Fighter's Guild," he said awkwardly. She beamed at him and grabbed his calloused hand.

"Follow me!" she exclaimed as she started practically dragging him through the streets. Corvo's facial expression was that of a man who had doomed himself.

 _This woman is way too happy._

* * *

The Cardinals all stared at Nigun as he entered the room. He kneeled to those he once thought as holy and waited for permission to rise.

"You may rise, Captain Nigun Grid Luin," said the only female cardinal, Berenice Nagua Santini: the Cardinal of Fire. Nigun rose to his feet.

"Thank you, your holiness," he said as his eyes flicked between the cardinals faces. He could hear their blood pumping through their veins. He could smell through their skin. He wanted to eviscerate them and feast on their blood. But he controlled himself. He had to prove himself to his god. The day his master revealed himself on the global stage was fast approaching and on that day the world would be shaken to its core. Following that would come the battle between the powers that be and Lucifer Dracul. Nigun couldn't see Lucifer Dracul losing and he FULLY intended to be on the winning team.

"We heard reports of how Sunlight Scripture was wiped out," Ginedine Delan Guelfi, the oldest the cardinals and the Cardinal of Water, stated. Nigun bit his tongue to keep himself from saying a scathing remark about how they had spied on him.

"Could you give us your account of what happened after this magic caster, Lucifer Dracul, destroyed Dominion Authority?" asked the youngest cardinal, Raymond Zarg Lauransan: the Cardinal of Earth and the ultimate commander of the Six Scriptures. Nigun couldn't help but give a jab at this.

"How did you know he destroyed the holiest of angels?" Nigun asked. Raymond stiffened as he realized his mistake.

"Because of the nature of your assignment we had Thousand Leagues Astrologer keep an eye on the situation with Intelligence Magic. We are sorry we did not inform you. Please forgive us," said Dominic Ihre Partouche, the Cardinal of Wind, as he covered for his colleague's mistake. Nigun mentally smirked. On the outside, Dominic looked every bit the part of a kind old man, but he had held Nigun's position in Sunlight Scripture decades earlier and on the inside he was a murderous fanatic just like he had been before meeting Lord Dracul.

 _You're not sorry for spying on me. You're sorry I found out!_

"It is alright your holiness. I understand," Nigun lied as he ran through his cover story for the hundredth time in his head. The cardinals relaxed a bit after hearing that.

"Then please, Nigun, tell us what happened," the skinny, sinister looking man, Yvon Jasna Dracrowa: the Cardinal of Light, demanded more than asked. Nigun cleared his throat and recited his cover story.

"After Lucifer Dracul destroyed Dominion Authority, he used a spell I had never heard of. [Hellsing] is what he called it," Nigun recited as he glanced at the Cardinal of Darkness, Maximilian Oreio Lagier taking notes. He had always found that man strange with his large, round glasses and the books that always levitated around him.

"We have not heard of this [Hellsing] spell either. What does it do?" the Cardinal of Fire asked.

"I assume you are all familiar with the spell [Fireball] correct?" Nigun asked. The cardinals nodded. "When Dracul used [Hellsing], hundreds of fireballs rained down upon us. I thought it was the end of the world." The cardinals began muttering amongst themselves as they ate up Nigun lies like starving children. Once they finished, they looked back at Nigun.

"How did you escape?" the Cardinal of Water asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I didn't," Nigun said as he continued his cover story. "One of those fireballs exploded near me causing my mount and I to be hurled through the air. When I landed, I knew for sure that I had broken my legs. Before I could pull myself up my horse landed on top of me knocking out. When I woke up, it was morning and I was still pinned under my dead horse. I eventually managed to crawl out from under its body and started crawling until a man named Corvo Attano found me. He, apparently, had been living in the Great Forest of Tob."

"I must have misheard you," the Cardinal of Darkness finally spoke up. "This man, Corvo Attano, lived in the Great Forest of Tob? With all those monsters?"

"As unbelievable as it sounds, yes," Nigun said.

"How did he survive?" the Cardinal of Light demanded. They had taken the bait.

"You may ask him yourself," Nigun replied. "He came with me here to Humanika." The Cardinal's glanced at each other before turning back to Nigun.

"It has been four weeks since your disappearance, Nigun," stated the Cardinal of Earth. "Why did you not report in earlier?"

"There are two reasons for my lateness your holiness," Nigun knew he had to keep up the façade until he received permission to do otherwise, but continuing to pretend to revere these so-called "cardinals" was starting to grate on his nerves. "The first of which is that, although Sir Attano did have healing potions on hand, they did not completely fix my legs so we had to a fair bit of waiting for my legs to be fully healed. The second reason is that Sir Attano was not in possession of a mount so we had to travel on foot."

"Well we are pleased by your safe return," said the Cardinal of Fire. "Nigun, are you willing to resume your duties as the Captain of Sunlight Scripture?" Nigun bowed.

"My apologies your holiness, but I must decline," Nigun declared.

"WHAT?" the Cardinal of Wind cried out. Nigun knew this was coming and he put on the face of a broken man before he delivered the final touch.

"Your holiness, I cannot bear the thought of going back out there with the knowledge that Lucifer Dracul continues to haunt this world," he said in a haunted tone. "I still wish to serve the Theocracy, but I'd prefer to do it from here in the Holy City." The Cardinals debated for a minute before the Cardinal of Darkness spoke.

"In light of the power Lucifer Dracul wields and the possibility he may seek further vengeance upon us, I propose that Nigun, who has firsthand experience with this dangerous individual, be made Head of Security here in the Shrine of the First Miko."

"Why?" the Cardinal of Light demanded.

"We are shorthanded as it is with the Black Scripture currently within Re-Estize's borders. Furthermore I do not believe this is the last we will have heard of this powerful sorcerer and should we need Nigun's insight it will be convenient to have him on hand. Any objections?" Everyone remained quiet. "Good. Nigun, where is this Corvo Attano you spoke of?"

"I believe he said he would be visiting the Fighters Guild," Nigun responded.

"Thank you Nigun. Have one of the slaves show you to your quarters and get some rest," the Cardinal of Water said. Nigun bowed, turned on his heel, and marched off. The cardinals couldn't see the evil grin that spread across his face. They had no idea that during the course of their conversation, 20 Shadow Demons had infiltrated deep into the inner vaults of the shrine while and additional 6 hid in the shadows of the cardinals themselves.

* * *

The Cardinal of Darkness took it upon himself to meet with this Corvo Attano. As he approached the Fighter's Guild in disguise, which had originally been created by the Theocracy to allow young men to gain combat experience before joining the military, he could see it was more crowded than usual. The citizens were cheering and booing loudly. As he got closer to the ring, he heard the announcer cry out.

"Unbelievable! This newcomer has just ended our champion's ten-year-long undefeated record! Introducing the Fighter's Guild new champion: Corvo Attano!" The Cardinal eyes widened slightly when he saw the scowling man standing in the middle of the ring. He stood shirtless among the dozens of unconscious men who littered the ring. He didn't have a single bruise or scratch on him. A woman who was holding his coat and shirt was jumping and squealing like a fangirl on the sideline.

 _Amazing. Not only did he live in the Great Forest of Tob but he has beaten everyone in the Fighter's Guild, including the undefeated champion, in less than a day. Could he be a God-Kin?_

As the crowd started to disperse without noticing the Shadow Demons that had latched onto their shadows, the Cardinal closed in on the man as he was putting his clothes back on. As that woman continued to talk his ear off.

"You were amazing!" she exclaimed as Corvo finished putting his trench coat back on.

"Thank you," he muttered.

"I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were that good!"

"Why are you still here?" the woman, apparently oblivious to his comment continued to talk to him until she noticed the Cardinal of Darkness approaching.

"Greetings, Sir Attano," the cardinal said. "It appears Nigun's account of your actions do you justice." Corvo simply grunted in response. "I understand you were living in the Great Forest of Tob before you came to our most Holy City." The woman looked at Corvo in shock. It was only now that the cardinal recognized her as that elven rights woman. He found her annoying but harmless.

"That is correct," Corvo stated before turning his narrow eyes to the man. "Who are you?"

"Ah, my apologies. I forgot to introduce myself," he said with a curt bow. "I am the Cardinal of Darkness, Maximilian Oreio Lagier. You may call me Maximilian." The woman immediately straightened up and bowed to him.

"I'm sorry your holiness! I didn't realize it was you!"

"Yes, that's the point of the disguise," Maximilian stated coldly. Corvo's eyes narrowed. His master had warned him of this man. He was the one who managed the Black Scripture. The ones who had access to WCIs. Lucifer had made this very clear to all forces currently operating outside Nazarick: Should anyone come into contact with the black scripture they were to fall back as quickly as possible and never under any circumstances engage them in combat.

"What do you want?" Corvo asked bluntly. Maximilian frowned slightly at Corvo's bluntness. He too was usually a man of few words, but this man didn't have to be so blunt.

"I would like to ask you to join the Black Scipture," Maximilian decided to come clean. The woman gasped and Corvo was simply silent for a moment.

"I decline," was all he said. Maximilian momentarily panicked.

 _No! If he really is a God-Kin I cannot let him slip through the Theocracy's grasp! If what Nigun says is true then we need him!_

"My I ask why, Sir Attano?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"I am a mercenary. I work for the highest bidder and only accept jobs that adhere to my moral code," Corvo replied.

 _I can work with this._

"I'll make you a deal Sir Attano," Maximilian said as he tried to get this man on his side. "If you agree to work exclusively for the Slane Theocracy, I will allow you to decline any job that does not meet. Do you agree to these terms?"

"…I agree to your terms," Corvo finally responded. Maximilian let out a sigh of relief.

"Excellent. We can work out the details of our contract later on this evening. Stop by the Cathedral of Darkness before nightfall. Do you have accommodations where I could reach you?"

"No."

"What!?" the woman spoke up. And then, before the cardinal could make his offer, she said: "Well you do now! You're coming home with me! It's the least I can do after you help me earlier today."

"I don't even know your name," Corvo said awkwardly.

"My name is Jessamine Kaldwin. Now that we're not strangers it's okay if you room with me!" she proclaimed with a smile. Maximilian sweatdropped.

 _What a strange woman._

Corvo stared at her for a few moments before looking back at the cardinal.

"I appear to have acquired lodgings," he stated.

"….I see…"

"Come on, Corvo. We need to get you cleaned up before you visit the Cathedral! Onward to the Kaldwin residence!" and with that, Jessamine started dragging Corvo down the road….. again. Corvo, for the first time that day, had a small smile on his face. This smile was there for multiple reasons. One: The psychological profile he had studied about the Cardinal of Darkness had been extremely useful during their negotiations had paid off. Two: Everything had gone according to his master's plan (apart from meeting this Jessamine woman). Three: He was actually starting to enjoy this weirdo's company.

Maximilian stared off into space as he watched the strange duo disappear into the crowds. This had been the most interesting thing to happen to him all day.

 _Those two are complete opposites… I ship it._

 **Alright I'm done for the night. Secretary, set my calls to go to voicemail. Leave a message after the sound of the screaming orphan.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	10. The Pharmacist and the Plague Master

Chapter 9: The Pharmacist and the Plague Master

Momon and Nabe were currently relaxing at the bar as they waited. Originally, Momon had intended to look at the job requests on the board. However, he had forgotten his [Spectacles of Translation] at Nazarick. When Nabe asked why he didn't bring them, he played it off by saying Nfirea would give them their job so they shouldn't bother. He knew Nfirea would come by soon. It was only a matter of time. Still, he had become slightly agitated as he had been unable to quench his bloodlust because he had to leave his [Goblet of the Vampire King] at Nazarick. It was the vampiric equivalent to the [Infinite Flask], instead of having unlimited water, [Goblet of the Vampire King] had unlimited blood. However, it wouldn't do for people to smell blood on the breath of their future hero, so he persevered as he waited and mulled over several facts in his head.

 _All the others: the Six Great Gods, the Eight Greed Kings, the Thirteen Heroes, they all came here in groups of at least two. Am I the only player who was summoned? Or is my counterpart or possible counterparts wandering somewhere in this new world? What if they're here in this city and I don't even know it? Maybe there are more on another continent? Unless this world is like Pangea there should be another continent. If the player retains their humanity and is an idiot, I expect they would join forces with the Theocracy. Those religious maniacs make me think of the Nazis I learned about back at the orphanage._

[Lord Dracul?] Demiurge messaged him.

[Yes Demiurge, what is it?]

[I thought you would like to know that Nigun and Corvo have reported in via [Message]. They have successfully infiltrated the Slane Theocracy at the desired positions and the Shadow Demons they took with them are giving constant us data on the enemy.]

Momon grinned under his helmet.

[Excellent.]

[There is one minor detail however.]

[Oh?]

[It appears that Corvo is sharing a house with a human girl.]

[What do we know about her?]

[She's the exact opposite of Corvo in both how much they talk and personality-wise. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to snap her neck.]

[Irrelevant. Keep an eye on the situation Demiurge. Additionally, I need you to tell Lupusregina my instructions retaining to Carne Village as well as collect [Total Maniac] from Pandora's Actor and bring both that and the blueprint on my desk to Jigsaw.]

[As you decree Lord Dracul.]

Just as he finished messaging Demiurge, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around to find four young men looking at him. Except for the one on the left, he was looking at Nabe.

"May I help you?" Momon asked. The one in chainmail, who Momon assumed was the leader, stepped forward.

"Hi, I was wondering if you would want join my friends and I on a job?" the blonde man said with a friendly smile.

 _Too friendly. Never trust someone who is "nice" to everyone. Still, I guess I could kill some time and listen to their proposition._

"I will hear you out," Momon replied. The blonde man nodded and led Nabe and Momon into another room. Once everyone was seated around a table, the blonde started talking again.

"My name is Peter Mauk, leader of the Swords of Darkness," he said. His features were rather unremarkable and his face would be easily forgotten.

 _Oh? We're doing introductions? How cute._

Another blonde stood up. This one wore leather armor and had an overall "I don't give a damn" look on his face.

"Sup, I'm Lekrut Volve, the team's ranger," he said before grinning at Nabe.

"I'm Dyne Woodwonder. I am a proud member of the Swords of Darkness and a druid," the plump, bearded one said.

"And I'm Ninya. I'm a mage," the shortest one quietly said with a smile. He was dressed in a typical mage's leathers. But that wasn't what caught Momon's attention.

 _I know a fake smile when I see one. It's as if there is pure hate and rage boiling just beneath the surface. Not to mention "he" doesn't smell like a "he" at all._

Momon gave a nod of acknowledgement before giving his own introduction.

"It is nice to meet you all. I am Momon and this is my partner Nabe," he said trying to make a good impression. Nabe simply grunted in acknowledgement. The Swords of Darkness stared at Nabe for a moment before looking back at Momon questioningly. "Yes, she is always like that. Let's move one to this job of yours Mr. Mauk." Peter straightened up before saying his piece.

"The task is to eliminate any monsters around the city. It's not a permanent solution to the monster problem but it keeps their population in check," Peter said. Momon's eyebrows furrowed momentarily.

 _Monster problem? The longer I'm in this world, the more these people remind me of Nazis. They DESERVE to be conquered._

"I see. Is this a request or is it normal for the city to reward us for eliminating these creatures?" Momon asked.

"The city will pay us for keeping its citizens safe from any hostile creatures. As long as we return with proof of each confirmed kill we will receive a bounty for each monster," Dyne answered.

"I see. How much would we make on a job like this?"

"Depends on how many of them we kill," Lekrut said with a shrug before turning his attention back to Nabe.

 _This might actually be rather lucrative. Still, Nfirea takes priority. The boy who can use any item, maybe even the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown._

"Thank you. Is there anything that hasn't been addressed?" Momon asked.

"Yes!" Lekrut shouted before pointing at Nabe. "I'm in love with you. Please, go on a date with me!" Everyone went silent.

"Insect," Nabe growled. "Go and kill yourself."

 _There she goes._

"That kind of honesty is so rare these days! But you're right. We should just start out as friends!" Lekrut exclaimed.

 _Ah, so they're both crazy._

"I'm going to cut out your tongue and shove it up rectal cavity," Nabe replied. Despite that, Lekrut continued to embarrass himself. Suddenly, Momon had a brainwave. His increased intelligence as a Dracula was really paying off.

 _Lekrut's constant flirting with Nabe will no doubt lead to certain questions. Although her personality is cold, she is easily flustered when it comes to those she is loyal to Albedo. Since Nfirea tends to gather herbs at Carne Village combined with Nabe's inevitable "accidental" information leak regarding Albedo, who I know is having Narberal report on me, I can get Nfirea to come to me without raising a finger AND get Narberal to improve on controlling herself when we're undercover! THIS MIGHT ACTUALLY WORK! I just need to delay these idiots long enough for Nfirea to get here._

Momon finally spoke up and asked:

"You call yourselves the Swords of Darkness. Why is that?" Peter raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't heard the stories?" he asked Momon shook his head.

"Well, I'll tell ya," Peter said with a grin.

* * *

Titus Annaeus Secundus, the keeper of Nazarick's great library, Ashurbanipal. He was the most powerful Skeleton Mage in Nazarick. He wore a red robe and seemed to be a mostly human skeleton, although several human bones had been removed and replaced with animal bones, for example: his skull was that of a deer's, horns and all. He was a mutant, a freak even among his fellow skeleton mages, so obviously he fit right in at Nazarick. He had been reading a book when he heard the door open. He looked up, expecting to see Albedo but instead saw Demiurge carrying a crate of some kind. Demiurge had just finished relaying Lord Dracul's orders pertaining to Carne Village to Lupusregina. His workload had doubled since Albedo had gone off to do… Albedo things.

"Lord Demiurge," Titus said in a raspy tone. I had been expecting Lady Albedo."

"I'm afraid she is otherwise indisposed," Demiurge replied, deciding it was best not to mention how she was rolling around in the master's coffin, trying to get her scent on it and smelling his own, which, according to Albedo, was an aroma of blood and smoke. He didn't care much for Albedo's eccentricities, but if there was a chance that it would sway Lord Dracul's mind to produce an heir, then it was worth taking up her duties.

"What, may I ask, is in the crate?"

"A collection of [Total Maniac] I have acquired from Pandora's Actor. I am to deliver these to the Secret Lab behind the Science Section of the library," Demiurge stated. Titus stiffened when he heard that.

"Lord Demiurge, I don't have to go in there with you do I? That man… he scares me." Demiurge nodded in understanding.

"I only need you to open the passage. Then you may take your leave."

"Thank you, Lord Demiurge." After a few minutes of navigating the maze-like shelves, Titus stopped at a book label: _Plague Master._ He pulled the book out as if it were a lever and a secret passage appeared.

"My thanks, Titus. You may go," Demiurge said as he entered the passage. Inside, there tables covered in mechanical parts and chemicals, meat hooks with corpses stuck on them hung from the ceiling, walls covered in blueprints, industrial equipment scattered about, and more. Demiurge's eyes landed on a Death Knight who was laying on an operating table. The Death Knight had clockwork machinery grafted to its bones and some kind of clockwork engine was slightly sticking out from under its rotted ribcage.

"Ah, Demiurge my friend!" a British voice came from behind the table. An average sized man in a plague doctor outfit stood up from behind the table. This was Jigsaw, an NPC who was created as a collaboration between Luci Fer and Ulbert Alain Odle, so he was, in a sense, Demiurge's half-brother. His race was a higher level zombie known as a Frankenstein. Extremely intelligent and quite mad, he served as Nazarick's chief scientist. He wasn't a Floor Guardian nor was he strong enough to be considered one of their equals, but he was level 70 so he could still rip a humans head off with little effort. He was grouped with Neuronist Painkill and Kyouhukou among the Five Worst. He was known as the Worst Personality. Why? Because out of all the beings in Nazarick, he was the single cruelest creature there and among the most deranged. "If I knew you were coming I would have cleaned up the intestines you're currently standing in! Totally unrelated, but, are you going to eat those, mate?" Demiurge decided to ignore that comment and stared at the Death Knight.

"Jigsaw, what are doing?"

"I'm glad you asked! I have been attempting to improve our lord's army by creating a Cybernetic Death Knight! Can you imagine? It's still in the prototype stage, but already the mechanics I have implemented increase efficiency output by 57%! The only problem is that the implants weigh too much, and without additional resources coming in I can't experiment with lighter metals so progress has been brought to a halt. I estimate it will be around ten years until I can even begin to think about mass production. I just need a way to bypass the-" as Jigsaw continued to ramble Demiurge held up his hand.

"I am impressed by the progress you have made, but weren't you under orders to finish making the Clockwork Soldiers?" Jigsaw looked down.

"About that," he said as he gestured to his right toward a collection of five, tall, threatening looking robots. Each one had a beaklike head and four arms that ended in blades. "I'm afraid I only had enough steel to create five. I have another forty-five ready to be assembled, but without more resources coming in I'm afraid production has been is on hold." Demiurge sighed and decided to get to what he came here for.

"I have with me a large number of [Total Maniac] supplied by Pandora's Actor," Demiurge stated. "Lord Dracul believes we can weaponize them and use them to sow chaos behind enemy lines. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Of course! This sounds so much fun!" Jigsaw exclaimed as he took the crate from Demiurge. "Perhaps a magical conversion tool? Oh! Oh! A pathogen! Or maybe-" he was cut off as a woman started screaming on the other side of the room. Demiurge looked over to see a naked woman who had literally been nailed to an operating table by her hands and feet.

"Jigsaw, who is that?"

"A woman."

"I can see that, where did you get her?"

"She was among the Sunlight Scripture when Lord Dracul recruited Nigun to our cause. Poor dearie thought she could get away." The woman started hyperventilating.

"Please! Someone help me!" she cried. Then she turned her head and came face to face with Jigsaw's lifeless, beaklike mask.

"Come now dearie, patients aren't supposed to make noise," he stated calmly. She started screaming again and Jigsaw began to twitch. Then, from out of nowhere, he drew a large meat mallet with nails sticking out of it and started to bash her face to a delicious pulp. "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I WANT TO KILL YOU! I'M GOING TO PUT MY HATE INTO YOUR SOUL! ONLY DREAMS! ONLY DREAMS! ONLY DREAMS!" he screamed as blood splattered all over his mask.

Demiurge decided now was a good time to leave. Perhaps he would go play chess with Pandora's Actor?

* * *

"And that's how the Thirteen Heroes defeated the Evil Deities!" Peter said as he finished his story. Momon simply nodded.

 _Goddamn this guy sure does love to talk._

Suddenly, someone tapped on Momon's shoulder.

"Excuse me, Mr. Momon?" the receptionist said. "Nfirea Bareare is here to see you." The Swords of Darkness straightened up when they heard her.

 _Finally._

"Oh? Do send him in," Momon said masking his relief that he could stop stalling.

"What does Mr. Bareare want with you Mr. Momon? " Ninya asked.

"No idea," Momon lied. After a minute or two, Nfirea entered the booth. He was…. Younger than Momon had been expecting.

 _Doesn't that hair get in your eyes when you're working?_

"You're Nfirea?" he asked just to be certain. The young man nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Momon. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," he said politely. "I would like to acquire your services as a bodyguard while I go gather herbs from a forest near Carne Village."

 _Jackpot!_

"I don't know about this Nfirea," I had agreed to accompany these gentleman on a hunt for monsters," Momon said as everything began to fall into place.

"What!?" Peter exclaimed. "You can't do that, Momon. He asked for you by name!"

"How about this: We all go escort Nfirea to Carne and hunt monsters on our way there. Agreed?" Everyone looked at Nfirea who simply shrugged.

"Fine by me," he stated simply. The Swords of Darkness nodded to Momon.

"It looks like we're coming along!" Peter declared.

* * *

 **Uploading this a little early tonight. Got another one or two to add in a few hours.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	11. A Giant Fucking Hamster

Chapter 10: A Giant Fucking Hamster

Momon and Nabe walked behind Nfirea's wagon as they headed down the road. Peter was in front of the wagon, Lukrut was on the left of the wagon, Dyne was on the right, and Ninya was sitting on top of it while Nfirea handled the horse. They still had about another day of walking and the sun would be coming down soon. Momon had removed his helmet for the time being and had applied [Mortal's Mask] so they could see his "face" to quench their curiosity. All was quiet.

"Nabe? Nabe? Are you going to answer my question?"

Except for motherfucking Lukrut.

"I'll ask you again in case you didn't hear me," Lukrut continued to blabber. "Are you a virgin?"

"Can I kill him now?" Nabe asked as she turned to her master.

"No," Momon replied. "I'm saving him in case we run out of food."

"Come on. Momon be honest with me! Are you and Nabe in love?" Nabe suddenly blushed.

 _Here it comes._

"Of course not! Lady Albedo is the only-!" Nabe was cut off when Momom placed his hand over her mouth.

"Mr. Lekrut, I would appreciate it if you discontinued your attempts to look into our personal lives," Momon stated calmly.

"Uh, sure, I guess," Lukrut responded a bit confused. After another few minutes of walking, Nabe, who had her head down since her outburst finally opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry Momon, sir!" she blurted out. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright Nabe," Momon interrupted. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

 _Of course I can't tell her that her outburst was part of my plan otherwise she might think it's alright to continue to act the way she does._

Suddenly, the convoy stopped.

"What is it Lekrut?" Peter asked. Lekrut pointed at a nearby forest.

"There in the trees. We're being watched," he said as he drew his bow and pulled an arrow form his quiver. Momon put his helmet back on unsheathed his two big, black, swords. "Here they come!" As Lekrut said those words a massive horde of goblin and ogres rushed out of forest.

"Momon! What are you doing?" Ninya shouted. The members of the Swords of Darkness momentarily halted their preparations to see what the shortest member of team was yelling about to see Momon was rushing towards the enemy with his huge swords at his sides. Throughout his time in E-Rantel, his bloodlust had slowly been growing since had been unable to bring his [Goblet of the Vampire King]. Deciding to use this opportunity to quench his bloodlust, he continued to charge at the enemy. A couple yards away, a big ugly ogre roared as raised his club to squash Momon.

"Momon look out!" Dyne yelled. Momon jumped and practically flew towards the ogre and sliced the beast horizontally in half.

"Whoa!" Nfirea shouted.

"No way," Lekrut muttered.

"Just how strong is he!?" Peter exclaimed.

"Wow," was all Ninya could say. Dyne simply stared with his mouth agape.

Momon jumped to the next ogre and cut him vertically in half before jumping in front of two ogres stabbing one and decapitating the other. Nabe joined in this point and started casting magic.

"[Maximize Magic: Chain Lightning]!" Nabe shouted as a thunderbolt ripped through three of the ogres.

"That's 3rd-Tier Magic!" Ninya gasped. The others were still paying attention to the way Momon tore the enemy apart. He made no grunts from the effort he put into his brutal blows, no war cries, and no growls of anticipation. Just silence. Complete and utter silence. There were only three ogres left, and they were trying to flee. Momon twirled his swords and threw them right through the backs of the two who had gotten the farthest. The last one he pounced on and grabbed it by the back of its head before…..

"That's not physically possible!" Ninya cried."

"And somehow he's doing it," Peter said in awe.

"What he said back at the Inn wasn't just an empty threat," Dyne said as he watched with wide eyes.

"Remind me to never piss him off," Lukrut said shakily.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Nfirea muttered as his face turned green.

Momon had torn out the ogre's skull and was beating him to death with it. As the ogre let out its last gurgling breath, a blood-spattered Momon stood up, retrieved his weapons, and looked back to his fellow travelers.

"Perimeter secure," he stated calmly. Nabe nodded while everyone else just stared.

"Perimeter secure?" Peter asked with a nervous laugh. "Perimeter secure!? You rip out an ogre's skull and beat him to death with it, and all you have to say is PERIMETER SECURE!?" Momon simply shrugged his armored shoulders.

"Perimeter secure," he repeated.

* * *

Corvo blocked another blow from a wooden training sword. The man he was sparring with was stronger than any of the others the cardinal had set him against, but he was no match. Corvo back flipped, kicking him in the jaw as he did, and that thrust forward right into the man's chest. If he hadn't been using a training sword, the man would be dead, instead he just collapsed, unconscious. After the meeting at the Cathedral of Darkness, the Cardinal of Darkness had asked Corvo to attend a few sparring matches so he could see the man's skills for himself. It was obvious that regular foot soldiers, no matter how many, were child's play to Corvo.

 _If he had become an adventurer, he would've been Adamantite ranked in no time._

That is what the Cardinal of Darkness thought as he started clapping from the balcony that overlooked the training grounds, which had groaning soldiers laying all over the place.

"Well done, Sir Attano.," he praised. "You truly do belong among the Black Scripture." Corvo simply gave an elegant bow in response. As Corvo walked off, the cardinal glanced at the woman in the shadows. "What is your opinion Zesshi?" Corvo, heard him say that and his eyes widened as he heard that name.

"[Blink]." Corvo muttered. [Blink] was a very short ranged and weakest version of the spell: [Teleport]. Corvo, however utilized very well. He had intentionally hidden his magic from the cardinals as were his orders. He teleported on top of the roof that provided the balcony with shade. He pulled up his hood and equipped his mask, so if anyone saw him they would not recognize him, stuck to the shadows created by the decorative architecture, stayed as still and silent as a grave. Zesshi looked like a teenager, but her looks did not align with her age. Her hair hid her ears completely and was styled specifically for that purpose. Half of her hair was white while the other half was black. She wore a black and white dress held together by a red sash, had one black legging, had one white legging, one black eye, and one white eye. You think Aura and Mare are heterochromatic? This bitch took it way too far. On her back was a cross-shaped war scythe. In her hand was a Rubik's Cube. If one was to describe how she acted: everything bored her.

"He was strong, there's no question about that," she said in a voice that sounded only a little older than Shaltear. "I think he might even be stronger than Ruvik Alaf." The cardinal's eyes widened.

 _Zesshi thinks that man is stronger than the Captain of the Black Scripture, the descendant of our God of Life: Alah Alaf!?_

"Anyways, that's not what I'm here about Maximilian," Zesshi said as she put away the Rubik's Cube. "I'm here to talk about that magic caster, Lucifer Dracul." Corvo narrowed his eyes and continued to listen in. The cardinal sighed.

"Once Ruvik and the rest of the Black Scripture return, we will have them sweep the area surrounding Carne Village and hunt him down," he said. "Once they find him, Lady Kaire will use the holy relic [Downfall of Castle and Country] on the infidel and we will make him serve the Theocracy."

Corvo was seething with rage. How dare this filthy human try to control the God of Life and Death! Zesshi simply rolled her eyes.

"Are sure Kaire is up for this? She may be a God-Kin, but she isn't exactly a young woman anymore," Zesshi stated.

"Where are you going with this Zesshi?" the cardinal decided to get to the point.

"Send me after him. I'll bring you back his head on a silver platter," Zesshi said confidently.

 _ARROGANT WOMAN!_

"No Zesshi, we want him alive. If we can use his great power for the Theocracy we can destroy the Agrand Council Alliance and secure human dominance!"

"Hmph," Zesshi harrumphed. "It's not like Dracul would be a challenge, so it would probably be a waste of my time anyway." She huffed as she started stomping away.

"Zesshi," the cardinal called out. She turned around and met his glare with her own. "You may be God-Kin, one of the five legacies left to us by the Six Great Gods, you may be the strongest out of all the countries, even the strongest in the world! But you are NOT invincible. I worry that you forget that sometimes." Zesshi snorted and stomped away.

 _I'd better get somewhere safe before I make my report to Demiurge._

Corvo looked around and his eyes landed on a bird who was on the roof with him.

"[Possess]." He muttered as he turned to smoke and the smoke entered the bird through its eyes and beak. Corvo, who was now the bird, flew off towards Jessamine's house. He fully expected to get hug tackled when he left the bird and walked through the door.

* * *

Carne village was finally in sight. It had taken them another day of walking after making camp last night, but there it was.

 _That wall wasn't there last time._

Momon stared at the newly erected wall and saw there were people standing on walkways staring back at him. Nfirea was confused and was wondering what had happened. As they approached the gate, 20 goblins jumped out of the hiding spots and surrounded the convoy.

"Who are these guys?" Lukrut exclaimed. A goblin who was slightly taller than the rest appeared to be in charge.

"Calm down humans. You be cool and we'll cool," he said diplomatically while giving Momon a wary glance.

 _Aren't these goblins the ones from [Horn of the Goblin General]?_

"Nfirea? A familiar voice called out.

"Enri!" Nfireas responded with a wave. Judging by the smell of his hormones, he thought of Enri Emmot as more than a friend.

 _What are the odds? The girl I save is the one he loves? What is this a fucking anime?_

With the misunderstanding cleared up, they were allowed into the village. Enri immediately dragged Nfirea away while the Swords of Darkness started conversing with the goblins and villagers.

 _All the pieces are in place. Nfirea will be mine._

[My lord?] Lupusregina messaged Momon, snapping him out of his thoughts.

[Yes, what is it?]

[I need you and Narberal to back up 30 paces]

 _What? Whatever, I might as well see what this is about._

"Peter!" Momon called out. Peter turned to him and listened to what he had to say. "Nabe and I are going to make sure the forest is safe before Nfirea finishes with his friend!"

"Alright Mr. Momon!" Peter responded. "Be careful in there!"

Momon and Nabe slipped out of sight and backed up 30 paces. Suddenly, someone shouted from directly behind Nabe.

"BOO!" the woman shouted. Nabe, jumped up and drew her blade, only to be made immobile by the woman's spine breaking hug. "I was soooooooooooo bored without you, Narberal!" Lupusregina exclaimed.

"Lupu - you're – crushing – me -," Nabe choked out. Momon chuckled at the exchange and watched in amusement before breaking up the sickeningly sweet reunion.

"That's enough Lupusregina," he ordered.

"Yes, my lord," she said with a pout as she dropped Nabe, who started gasping now that she could breathe again.

"Is there a reason you called us out here, Lupusregina?"

"Yes my lord," she replied, suddenly all business. "As you know we have a shortage of resources and we need to raise the fame of your alter-ego: Momon. Lady Aura and Lord Demiurge have found a way to make progress on both fronts. Lady Aura will give you the details inside the forest."

"Thank you, Lupusregina," Momon said with a nod.

"I am your humble servant, my lord!" she cheered.

 _I love it when they praise me but it's still a little weird._

After a few moments of walking through the forest, Aura jumped down from a tree and bowed to her master.

"It's great to see you my lord!" Aura exclaimed.

"I am pleased to see you to Aura. Tell me what you've found," Momon ordered.

"Yes, my lord. Deeper into the woods I found the den of a creature I've never seen before. According to rumors Lupusregina picked up on in the village, I think that this monster is the legendary Wise King of the Forest!"

 _Wise King of the Forest? I think I overheard Nfirea and the others talking about that while I was trying to keep Narberal from poisoning Lukrut's food. This could be useful._

"I fail to see how this is supposed to help with our resource problem, Aura," Momon inquired. Aura simply grinned.

"There is an abandoned mine here in the forest. The miners were driven out when a creature decided to make itself at home there," Aura said with a smile.

"Don't tell me. This "Wise King" is the one who has turned this mine into its nest?" Momon stated more than asked.

"Yes sir!" Aura exclaimed.

"Exemplary work Aura. I will see to it that you are rewarded when I return to Nazarick." Aura suddenly looked uneasy.

"No! No! I can't accept that my lord! It is my duty and joy to serve you!"

"Perhaps, but a ruler is nothing without his subjects, and I would be a poor ruler if I did not reward excellence," Momon said firmly. "Now, take us to this beast!" A few minutes later, they came across a large cave. "Aura would you do the honors?" Aura nodded happily and skipped over to the entrance.

"YO!" she shouted resulting in her voice echoing off the walls. Seconds later a rumbling sound came from within. It continued to get closer and closer. The cave was dark so Momon couldn't see what exactly it was, but he could see the outline of the creature. Just as it was about to exit the cave, Momon clenched his fist and clotheslined the beast as it came sprinting out. It landed with a thud a few yards behind him.

"Owie," it squeaked. Momon froze.

 _Owie? OWIE!? WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF LEGENDARY CREATURE SAYS OWIE!?_

Momon turned around and found himself face to face with… a giant fucking hamster.

 _ARE YOU SHITTING ME!?_

The creature jumped up and shook off the impact from Momon's fist.

"A cunning warrior you are. Take great pride in our duel I shall!" it declared.

 _What are you, Yoda?_

The creature lashed out with its long tail, all in vain however. Momon simply caught its tail with his bare hand and, with great force, spun the overgrown gerbil around by its tail before smashing it into a tree. With a sigh, he turned back to Aura.

"Aura, go ahead and get the undead workers ready. This won't take much longer." Aura saluted in response. Momon noticed her salute was a raised fist much like the First Order's salute in Star Wars. Did everyone in Nazarick salute like that or was it just Aura?

"Yes sir!" she exclaimed she shot off in Nazarick's direction. Momon then turned his attention back to the hamster that was struggling to its feet.

"G-g-give up, I will not!" it proclaimed. Momon could admire the animal's spirit, but it also annoyed him.

 _I am not going to fight a giant fucking hamster._

"[Aura of Despair Level 1]." The beast shivered and fell on its back instantly. Finally, the hamster had given up.

"P-please! I beg you! No more!" it wailed. Momon titled his head as he gazed at the beast. It wasn't in Yggdrasil so it would be a shame to simply dispose of it. Besides, its reputation as a legendary creature could prove useful.

"If I let you live, will you swear to serve me?"

"Yes!"

"Will you pledge your SOUL to me?"

"Y-yes!" Momon raised his hand and used healing magic on the beast.

"I christen thee, Hamsuke! Loyal servant of Momon and Lucifer Dracul!"

When Momon returned on Hamsuke's back, everyone made a huge fuss about it. Nfirea stared in awe but there was a new look in his eye when he stared at Momon.

 _He knows I'm Lucifer Dracul. Everything has gone according to plan so far. It's all or nothing now. If this works out Nazarick will have a powerful ally. If it doesn't then I'll have to kill him._

A few hours later Momon was in a secluded area equipping Hamsuke with a saddle that one of the villagers had given him and Nabe was keeping watch.

"My lord," Nabe spoke up. She didn't need to say anything however. Momon's vampiric sense had picked up on Nfirea approaching nearly 20 minutes ago.

"Nfirea," Momon said in pleasant tone. "Is something wrong?"

"Mr. Momon, please be honest with me," the boy said nervously. "Are you Lucifer Dracul?" Nabe's eyes widened while Momon stood up and smirked under his helmet.

 _I love it when a plan comes together._

"May I ask what makes you think that, Nfirea?" he asked.

 _Time for Nabe to learn that she needs to shape up._

"I was talking to my friend Enri and she mentioned that Lucifer Dracul traveled with a woman named Albedo." Nabe flinched. Momon let out a fake sigh.

"You've caught me Nfirea," Momon said as he took off his helmet and suppressed some of his vampiric traits. "I am indeed Lucifer Dracul," and as those words left his mouth, [Mortal's Mask] was dispelled and his true face, without the obvious vampirism, was revealed. "I sense there is something else you wish to tell me, Nfirea?" A few moments of silence followed.

"I requested you for this assignment because I wanted to learn how to make the [Blood of God]," Nfirea admitted. Lucifer's smile grew as the child played right into his hands.

"It would be irresponsible of me if I didn't ask, but what were you planning to do with that knowledge?"

 _As if I don't already know he just wanted to learn for the sake of learning._

"I actually hadn't thought about that," Nfirea said with a blush. "The knowledge itself was tantalizing enough." A few more moments of silence followed. "Sir- no, Lord Momon, I realize that this may be selfish of me, but, please accept me as your apprentice! I want to become strong like you so I can protect Enri!"

 _Yes! Yes! Yes! This is it! This exactly what I wanted to happen! Good job vampire brain!_

"I'm sorry Nfirea, but Momon is not looking for an apprentice," Lucifer said as he reapplied [Mortal's Mask] and Nfirea's heart sank. "However, I believe Lucifer Dracul could use a brilliant young such as yourself as an assistant." Nfirea's eyes lit up with hope.

"Really!?"

"Really. One of my people will contact you once we're back in E-Rantel. I probably don't need to tell you this, but I'd rather it remain our secret that Lucifer Dracul and Momon are the same person."

"I understand sir. I promise you won't regret this and that I won't let you down!" the youth swore happily as ran back down to the village to prepare for their departure. Silence descended once again. Hamsuke was confused, Nabe was in shock, and Momon simply waited for Nabe to speak.

"It is my fault he discovered your identity," she finally said.

"Yes," Momon responded coldly.

"I shall atone with my life," she said as drew her sword only for it to be smacked out of her hand by her master.

"You are of no use to me if you are dead Narberal Gamma!" he declared. "I do not want you to die. Learn from this failure so you may do better in the future!" A few tears fell down Nabe's fave as she bowed.

"Thank you, my benevolent master. I am not worthy," she said solemnly. Momon grinned an evil grin under his helmet.

 _All is as it should be. Eat your heart Slane Theocracy! The boy is MINE!_


	12. The Dark Knight Rises

Chapter 11: The Dark Knight Rises

Everything had gone according to plan. The gullible boy had sworn himself to him, Nabe had acknowledged that she had been acting like an idiot, they had acquired a mine from which his undead workers had already mined out 40 pounds worth of steel, there were no incidents on the trip back to E-Rantel, Hamsuke had been registered with the adventurers guild, and Momon had a good start to his career as an adventurer. So if everything had worked out, you might be asking yourself why the hell Momon, Nabe, and Hamsuke ended up hiding in an alleyway while guards were running all over the city and people were screaming?

* * *

Momon entered the Bareare Pharmacy with Nabe and Nfirea's grandmother, Lizzie Bareare. It was clear to Momon that something was wrong the moment the entered the building. It was dark and quiet even though Nfirea and the Swords of Darkness should've been waiting here for them.

"Nfirea! Nfirea!" the old woman called out. "Where is that boy?"

"Be quiet," Momon ordered, his tone making Lizzie realize something was wrong. Nabe placed her hand on the handle of her blade as Momon drew one of the blades from his back. As quietly as they could, they creeped into the next room. There was blood everywhere. The corpses of the Swords of Darkness were strewn about on the floor. As he approached the corpses, they started to get up. Anyone else might've thought that they were alive, but anyone wouldn't have been able to sense their lack of a heartbeat, and that could mean only one thing.

"Zombies," Momon muttered as he thrust his sword, slicing through all three of the walking dead with a single stroke. The ability to use [Raise Dead] required being adept with 3rd-Tier Magic. This was important for sure, but they needed more information. "Nabe, check the corpses. We need to find out what happened here," he ordered. He and Nabe examined the corpses while Lizzie ran around the house screaming for Nfirea. Ninya had taken the most beating and was also the only one that hadn't been turned into a Lesser Zombie. One thing they noticed was that their Adventurers' Plates had been taken, most likely as trophies. Momon sniffed the air and, with his vampiric senses, identified the scent of female perspiration, and it wasn't Ninya's. Suddenly, Lizzie burst back into the room.

"Nfirea is gone! My grandson is gone!" she cried, clearly hysterical.

"Yes and since his body isn't here it stands to reason that he was kidnapped," Momon stated calmly. Lizzie, who wasn't happy with Momon's calm demeanor, turned her attention to the corpses. Momon wasn't showing it, but on the inside he was absolutely furious. He didn't care about the Swords of Darkness, but he was furious about Nfirea.

 _After all the work I put in to get him on my side, some BITCH just comes in and TAKES HIM!? Oh, heads are gonna roll! TONIGHT is the NIGHT that BITCHES DIE!_

"Were these your friends?" she asked sympathetically.

"We were associates who took a job together, but not friends. No," Momon said coldly.

"Oh…. I see," Lizzie wasn't quite sure how to respond to such coldness. She then turned her gaze to the words written in blood near Ninya's body. "Sewers 2-8? What does this mean!? Has Nfirea been taken into the sewers?"

"No, it is a red herring. A trick," Momon declared. "They didn't bother to hide the bodies and instead they used 3rd –Tier-Magic to create the zombies. A Necromancer was involved in addition to the woman. They either don't care about being exposed or were confident in their ability to escape. My guess is that they wanted to utilize Nfirea's ability to achieve some goal and that's why they took him."

"Wh-what do we do?" Lizzie stammered.

"I don't have to do anything. You should think about hiring an adventurer capable of taking care of this problem," Momon said, drawing out the "I" and the "You". "You are quite fortunate Lizzie, before you stands the strongest adventurer in the city and the only one capable of bringing the boy back alive." It finally dawned on Lizzie what Momon was saying. "My price will be steep, seeing as I know how difficult a task this will be," he continued on coldly. Lizzie knew he was strong so there was no argument. He had tamed the Wise King of the Forest, created the [Blood of God] potion, and she had seen the way he killed those zombies as if it was child's play.

"How much? How much do you want?" she demanded grumpily. Momon hid his evil grin under his helmet.

"Everything," he said clearly. As he said that, Lizzie thought she saw two red lights shine brightly through his helmet for a moment. "I want your everything." Lizzie backed away as she felt like she was being frozen by this man's cold, lifeless heart (little did she know).

"You don't want money or potions," she spat. "I used to hear stories when I was a little girl about how the devil would grant any wish in exchange for a human's soul. Is that what you are? Are you the devil?" Momon slightly lifted his helmet to show his mouth and upper lip. He wasn't using his Momon face or even his usual face as Lucifer Dracul. He was giving Lizzie a glimpse of his true face. Much like how Shaltear had her True Form, Lucifer had his own as well. Lizzie was horrified. His skin was like a window into the deepest, darkest pit of hell. Glaring, soulless eyes, mouths filled with sharp teeth, and grotesque faces that either seemed grinning psychotically or looked like they were suffering unimaginable pain. Tendrils moved about like they lives of their own and there was horrible fanged grin.

 **"** **Does it matter?"** came a terrifying voice. As this…. Monster among monsters opened its mouth, there were other sound coming out, quieter than that voice dripping with malice, but still clear enough to be heard. There were the sounds dogs barking, but Lizzie had never heard dogs that sounded so evil, as well demonic laughter and worst of all: the sound of a million souls crying out in never-ending agony. Even Nabe looked terrified. After what seemed like an eternity, Momon put his helmet back on and the noises were silenced. By this point, Lizzie had turned as white as a corpse.

"A-anything. Anything for Nfirea," was all she managed to say before she fainted.

"That was fun," Momon said with a chuckle as he turned to Nabe. "Wouldn't you agree Nabe?" Nabe, with her eyes wide having a haunted look to them, slowly nodded her head. After moving Lizzie's unconscious form out of the way, the two so-called adventurers cool laid out a map on a table. It was unlikely another player was involved in this mess, but Lucifer decided to air on the side of caution. Nabe, as ordered by her lord, used [False Cover], [Counter Detect], [Locate Object], [Clairvoyance], and [Crystal Screen]. Through the combination of these spells, they Nfirea wearing come crown that looked a spider web and surround by an army of the undead marching from the graveyard right towards E-Rantel.

"What are your orders my lord?" Nabe inquired. Momon grinned as plan quickly formed in his head.

"Follow my, lead."

* * *

And that's what brought them to their current situation. Momon had his arms crossed and was leaning against Hamsuke, Nabe was pacing, and Hamsuke just kind of sat there since there wasn't much space in the alleyway. Additionally, Momon had used illusion magic to make sure they weren't seen.

"My lord what exactly are we doing?" Nabe asked.

"That army of the undead is marching towards the city from the North," Momon said. "It will only be a matter of time before the guard are overwhelmed and the undead swarm the city. When they do, we will wait a few minutes, let the undead slaughter any residents they come across, and then when things seem hopeless we will join the battle and lead the counter-attack against the undead and become this city's heroes. I have ordered several Shadow Demons to keep an eye on what's going on at the E-Rantel Cemetery that they will alert me should the enemy move from that spot so there is a very small chance that they will escape while we play hero and, from what the Shadow Demons have told me, the enemy doesn't plan to move anytime soon."

"I understand my lord. Forgive this foolish one, but why do we not simply charge into battle right now?" Nabe asked.

"Although what is happening was not in my plans, it does work to our advantage for our ultimate goal. Although stopping a potential catastrophe before it happens will grant us exceptional praise and prestige, saving a city that's on the brink of destruction will gives us much more," Momon said in a cold voice. Gone was his false compassion for humanity. This was who really was, a cold, heartless, bitter man who, out of pure spite towards those he had once called his friends and the world he was born in, had decided to conquer the world and mold it into something that contradicted the moral values of his old world. They were silent a while longer. Eventually, thanks to his enhanced hearing, Momon heard people screaming over on the North side of the city. Still, he decided to wat a little longer, give the undead the chance kill some more guards and civilians. As the fighting reached the middle of the city, Momon mounted Hamsuke and Nabe started to run towards the Adventurer's Guild to acquire reinforcements. It was time for E-Rantel to meet their messiah.

* * *

The Captain of the Guard had been in bad situations before, but never anything like this. The guards who worked under him were good boys. They lacked combat experience, but they were brave and willing to their duty for the Re-Estize Kingdom. As a grizzled veteran of three wars with the Empire, his men took to calling him "Pops". They looked up to him, they depended on him, and tonight he had let so many of them down. How many? He didn't want to know so he stopped counting after 50. He and his men had been pushed back to the market district, the very center of E-Rantel, by hordes of the undead. For every one he cut down, three more took its place. They had set up barricades in an attempt to hold the back. Wagons, carts, stalls, trash, even the bodies of their fallen, they added everything they could to the barricade to the keep the monsters back and it still hadn't been enough. Skeletons eventually swarmed them and they now had their backs against the wall of the Mayor's home.

"Any ideas, Pops?" one of his remaining men called out as he forcefully stomped on a skull, crushing it.

"Here's one! Say your prayers to whatever gods you believe in, boys!" Pops roared at as he cut down another walking corpse with his sword. "You'll likely be seeing them soon since I don't see a way outta this one!"

"We'll all go together then!" one young man proclaimed as he whacked one of the undead with his mace.

"Hell yeah! I ain't going out like a bitch!" another one shouted as he bashed one of the creatures with his shield. Pops grinned, proud of his men for facing death like this. After another few minutes spent fighting endless waves of undead, they heard a roar and saw an approaching Skeleton Giant, which generally between level 15-20.

"It's been honor to serve with you men," he declared, expecting it to be the last thing he ever said. Suddenly, an unidentified furry object jumped over their heads and as it approached the ground, it turned in midair and started rolling over the horde, crushing them under its weight. It completely cleared out all the enemies that had crossed the barricade other than the Skeleton Giant. When the creature stopped rolling and stood up, a man in black armor, who only the gods know how he had hung onto the rolling beast much less survived, jumped down from it and unsheathed the two massive swords on his back. He jumped incredibly high and swung his swords at the Skeleton Giant with superhuman strength. Pops and his men couldn't see what happened as an enormous dust cloud covered the area when the two collided, but shortly they did hear loud noises like something had fallen. When the dust cleared, the dark warrior stood triumphantly with his swords at his sides, atop the Skeleton Giant's skull, which had been separated from the rest of its body which was currently in several pieces. The man jumped down from the skull to the front of the makeshift barricade.

"Hamsuke, take the left side of the barricade! You guards take the right side! I'll take the center! Move!" their savior commanded in a loud yet calm and commanding voice.

"You heard the man!" Pops shouted after deciding nothing good would come from arguing over who was in charge. The beast, who was now identified as Hamsuke, lashed out every creature it saw with its tail and smashed any that got too close with its paws. Pops and his men managed to hold the line and kill everything that came at them. Then there was the dark hero leading them. He was magnificent. Every single last goddamn monstrosity that got too close to him was blown apart be the sheer force at which he swung his blades. Nothing got past him. What Pops didn't know was that, because it was night, the hero's status as a Dracula granted him +15 to all his stats including his swordsmanship which, as a magic caster, was usually at 0. Suddenly, Pops felt movement behind him and spun around, worried the undead were going to attack from behind, but instead saw a small army of adventurers rushing to help turn the tide of battle while being led by a the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Glad you could join us Nabe!" the dark hero shouted to the woman with a small laugh.

"Pleasure to be of service," was all she said before casting [Fly] and flying over the undead horde. Once she was in position she used another spell. "[Twin Maximize Magic: Chain Lightning]!" she shouted as a shower of sparks enveloped the monsters.

 _That's 3_ _rd_ _-Tier-Magic!_

The other adventurers had caught up by now and rallied behind the dark hero. After another few minutes of defending the barricade, he cut down one more skeleton before pointing at the undead army with one of his massive swords.

"CHARGE!" he roared as he led the other adventurers over the barricade and into the horde. He was a whirlwind. Everything that got near him was obliterated as cut a swathe of death and destruction right through the middle of the horde. The rest of the adventurers attacked the few dozen who remained of the dark warrior had finished with them. Pops could only watch in amazement.

 _He must be stronger than Gazef Stronoff! He could easily kill everyone in the city without taking a scratch. Thank the gods he's on our side._

The dark hero mounted Hamsuke and sheathed one of his weapons so he could the beast's reigns in his left hand while his right hand continued its death grip on the other sword.

"Nabe and I are heading to the graveyard to kill the necromancer responsible for this!" he informed Pops. "Hold this position!" Pops grimaced. Going to the graveyard in this situation was like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fryer. But if anyone could the bucket of water that would put out that bitch of a fire, it was this man.

"Wait!" Pops called out. "You really saved our asses back there. Who are you?" The dark hero turned his head to look at Pops.

"I am Momon," he said proudly. Nothing more needed to be said and so he galloped off on Hamsuke, closely followed by Nabe. Pops turned to look at his men. They were tired and some were injured, but they were alive, grinning, and their eyes were full of determination.

"Remember this day well, boys," Pops said. "We just saw a hero- no, a legend in the making. The Dark Knight. The Slayer of Death itself. Momon."

* * *

 **Alright I'm done for the night. I meant to have a scene with Pandora's Actor and Jigsaw acting like a couple of maniacs but when I wrote it just didn't come out right. As usual...**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	13. The Graveyard Showdown

Chapter 12: The Graveyard Showdown

Khajiit Dale Badantel was pleased with how things had been progressing. Clementine had secured Nfirea Bareare, an army of then undead had stormed the gates of E-Rantel, he and his fellow Zuranon cultists were almost done with the ritual, and he would be one step closer to achieving his dream of becoming a lich. Everything had gone according to plan. That is, until they showed up.

"It's a beautiful night isn't it?" an unexpectedly cheery voice called. Khajiit's eyes widened when he heard that voice and turned his head towards an armored behemoth, a gorgeous scowling woman, and… he wasn't what the beast behind them was, but it was certainly fluffy. "It is nights like these that make me hungry. Beautiful moonlight, a soft breeze in the air, and the promise of bloodshed."

"How did you get past all of the undead?" Khajiit demanded with the skin on his corpselike face stretching. The man in dark armor simply chuckled as if he found Khajiit's question legitimately funny.

"Isn't it obvious? I killed them. The Adventurers Guild and the city guards are mopping up the remnants of the undead and securing the city as we speak," the more this man spoke, the more Khajiit began to sweat. Who was this guy? "The only loose ends left are you and your people. I will give you one chance to be granted a painless death: Where is Nfirea Bareare and where is the woman with the piercing weapons?" Khajiit gulped.

"There's no woman here!" he lied.

"Khajiit, give it up," Clementine's voice came from the mausoleum. "He's figured us out and I'd looooooove to hear how he found us." She said with a smirk as who walked towards the group.

"Take off that robe and I'll show you," he said as if it wasn't suggestive at all.

"Whoa! Hey! You're making me blush!" she called out mockingly. "And I like it." With that said, she ditched her robes, revealing her armor covered in adventurer plates. "Looking for these?"

"You are a fool. By taking those you led me right to you," the armored man stated. Clementine frowned in confusion. "My name is Momon. I already know who you are Clementine."

"Oh? And just how the hell do you know that?" she asked.

"Your old friend Nigun told me," was all Momon said. "Shall we settle this over there?" he asked as he pointed to a nearby clearing with one of his swords. Clementine just shrugged.

"Fine by me," she said as she and Momon set out for the clearing. "Nabe," he called over his shoulder. "Take care of Khajiit and his friends, please."

"I live to serve, my lord," she said as her hands started glowing with magical energy.

* * *

They spent several minutes of walking in total silence, other than Momon quietly singing to himself:

"Prick your finger it is done, the moon has now eclipsed the sun; angel now has spread it wings the time has come for bitter things," he hummed quietly.

"Hey!" Clementine interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Aren't you going to cry about what I did to your friends, how they meant so much to you, and that I had no right to kill them?" she asked with an evil grin. Although she couldn't tell, Momon matched her smile with one that was just as sinister under his helmet.

"You misunderstand. I don't care what happens to other people. If someone spewed such idiocy about their nakama to me I would laugh in their face. I only pretend to care because it suits my interests," he stated coldly. "Your kidnapping of Nfirea and slaying of the Swords of Darkness is an inconvenient setback, but since you also provided me with an opportunity to slay an army of the undead and raise my reputation immeasurably so I will give you one chance: Surrender now and I will make death painless." Clementine laughed.

"You really think you can beat me? Puh-leeeeaase," she mocked. "I know the names of every person in the Kingdom who can beat me: Gazef Stronoff, Gagaran, Luisenberg, Brain Unglaus, and Vesture Kloff Di Laufen. You? I've never even heard of you before!"

"Of course you haven't," Momon responded calmly. "Momon isn't even my real name." Clementine's eyes narrowed as she continued to size the man up. They both knew in their hearts and minds that only one of them would be walking away from this. As they arrived in the clearing, they put a reasonable amount of distance between each other. Momon silently deactivated some of his vampiric traits. Since his status as a Dracula gave him +15 to all his stats, including his swordsmanship, whenever it was nighttime he had decided to bring it back down to 0 for two reasons. One: this woman was NOT a threat to him. Two: he wanted to gain some real experience from this fight.

"Should I start?" Clementine asked mockingly. Momon shrugged, unconcerned.

"Go ahead."

* * *

Nigun stood with two guards at his sides with their backs to the open room behind them. In the depths of the labyrinth underneath the Shrine of the First Miko was the vault where the Slane Theocracy stored its most valuable and dangerous treasures as well as holy relics. A few priests were in there cleaning the holy relics and catalogued what was in the vault. Even though he was now the Shrine's Chief of Security, he wasn't allowed in. Only those with the rank of Bishop and higher were allowed in. It didn't matter if he was allowed in however, as Nigun was aware that one of the Shadow Demons he had with him had infiltrated the vault one of the other times he had been standing guard. Soon, Nigun would give their master a report on the contents and his recent discover concerning the identity of the third World Class Item in the Theocracy's possession. Once the priests were done, Nigun and his searched them for anything they may have tried to smuggle out, as was standard procedure, and upon not finding anything they went back up to the surface. With his long day at work finally over, he went to visit a low class bar near the Fighters' Guild. He walked in and sat down at a booth in a quiet corner and waited. Thankfully, he didn't have wait long as Corvo walked in and sat across from him.

"What do you have to report?" Corvo asked. Nigun sighed.

"It's not good news, Lord Attano," Nigun said with a sigh. "The third WCI, it's called [Ahura Mazda]. It is capable of decimating Nazarick. The more negative a being's karma is, the more damage it inflicts, and its range is enough to cover EVERYTHING from here to the Agrand Council Alliance!" Corvo's eyes narrowed.

"We need to report this to Demiurge," he stated. "I have found that the Black Scripture is on their way back to Humanika. They will remain here for several days while the Captain of the Black Scripture, Ruvik Alaf, continues the selection process for a suitable bride so she can give birth to another God-Kin. After that they will begin hunting for our master with the intention of using [Downfall of Castle and Country] on him. Since our lord had another WCI with him at all times it is not likely that it will affect him, but there is a chance their hunt will lead them to Nazarick."

"So what are our orders?" Nigun inquired as he leaned over the table.

"When the Black Scripture returns, we will prevent them from leaving by ensuring that the city is lacking in manpower."

"How?"

"I have a spell [Rat Swarm] that summons a horde of ravenous, plague bearing rats. We will summon a few thousand of them over the next few days, hide them in the sewers, and they will scatter across the city. After the Black Scripture arrives, I will use my ability [Pied Piper] to control the rats and make them flood the streets spreading the plague among Humanika's inhabitants. We are undead so we will be immune."

"What about that woman, Jessamine Kaldwin? Won't she be stricken with the plague too" Nigun asked. Corvo winced a bit.

"Let me worry about that," he said grumpily.

"What if they suspect us? What if they use [Downfall of Castle and Country] against us and turn us against our god? If we are in the heart of enemy territory why do Mistress Shalltear and Lady Narberal have access to WCIs while we do not?"

"To answer your questions: if we one of us was controlled by [Downfall of Castle and Country] Lord Dracul would most likely kill whoever was controlled to free us from its affects and revive us shortly after," Corvo said while ignoring Nigun's gulp. "And there are two reasons we do not have WCIs. One: That Black Scripture is usually on missions outside of Humanika so we will have limited contact with this Kaire woman. Two: Because we are staying here for an extended period of time we cannot afford to have items of such power in our possession as they would inevitably attract attention, raise suspicions, or worse: blow our cover." Nigun was silent as he mulled over what Corvo told him. After a few moments, Nigun nodded in understanding as the two of them stood up.

"I understand, sir. I apologize for my lack of foresight," Nigun apologized.

"It's fine," Corvo responded gruffly. "I'm not the one you have to worry about disappointing. Now let's get out of here, we have work to do."

"Very well, Lord Attano. Let us being preparations to unleash the Rat Plague!"

* * *

"Come on! You're boring me!" Clementine taunted as she dodged Momon's swords yet again. "You're athletic abilities are topnotch, but you swing your swords like a fool!" She was right. Although Momon was freakishly strong and fast, Clementine had skill and experience. Of course, that was the point of this exercise: learn to be a convincing swordsman.

"Attack me then!" Momon shouted. "If you're so strong then why have you done nothing but dodge this whole time?"

"THE HELL DID YOU SAY TO ME!?" Clementine growled in rage as the armored behemoth continued to look down on her.

"You heard me. What happened to being a warrior who only a few people could defeat?" Momon continued to goad her. "It looks like you can't even land hit on someone you've never even heard of!" Clementine seethed as she unsheathed two of her stilettos. Just as they were about to reengage, they heard loud noises coming from where Nabe and Kahjiit continued to battle. Two large dragons made of bone had appeared. "Skeleton Dragons," Momon muttered to himself.

"That's right," Clementine said as she calmed down. "You really know your stuff," she added as she got into a position that reminded Momon of a cat getting ready to pounce. Quick as a flash sprinted towards him at a suprising speed and with extrodinary agility. Momon lashed out with the sword in his right hand when Clemenitne said these words: "[Invulnerable Fortress]." Clementine's small stiletto deflected his massive sword and she jabbed her other stiletto at his shoulder with tremendous force. She instantly retreated before Momon could counterattack with the sword in his left hand.

"That's a tough shell to crack," she muttered, disappointed she hadn't hurt him. Momon was impressed. The force of that strike had managed to dent armor made by a level 100 magic caster.

""So that's martial arts? Impressive," he chuckled.

"Ready for round two?" she mocked.

"I was waiting on you," he mocked back. Clementine furrowed her eyebrows and shot towards him again. This time, Momon was ready for her [Invulnerable Fortress] when her stiletto blocked a swing from his right sword but when he followed up with the left Clementine used another martial art.

"[Full Throttle]!" as she said that, her already impressive speed went into overdrive.

 _Gazef used these martial arts. So are these the best martial arts this world has to offer? It would be a relief if it was but also a little disappointing._

He turned his head to the side to avoid being stabbed in the eye through his visor so Clementine's stiletto only grazed the side of his helmet. However, this made him unable to see Clementine's other stiletto strike on his neck until felt cold steel pierce his already cold skin. There wasn't any blood however and both combatants backed off for a moment. Clementine glared at Momon.

"Why didn't my attack hurt you?" she demanded. "I stabbed you in the neck so you should be choking on your own blood! You piss me off so let's finish this!"

 _She has taught me well. I will practice with Cocytus some more in the future. Still, the adventurers won't be held up by the remaining undead for much longer so I should wrap this up._

"You're right. It is time to end this," Momon said calmly as he stabbed his swords into the ground before turning his in Nabe and Khajiit's direction. **"NARBERAL GAMMA!"** came a terrifying from under his helmet. **"SHOW THEM THE TRUE POWER OF NAZARICK!"** Clementine shook as she heard what she believed to be a hundred souls cursing her and creatures jeering in anticipation of her soul being collected. She stared at Momon as he turned his gaze back to her and outstretched his arms. "Come then," he said now that his voice had returned to normal. "Let's end this."

"What the hell?" Clementine said, still slightly alarmed from the demonic voice that came from Momon. Then she straightened up and decided she had imagined those sounds, even if they did continue to echo in her ears. "Giving up, huh?" she asked now that her arrogance had returned.

"Why would I do that just as I get serious?" Momon responded with a smirk. Clementine scowled as she charged at him for the last time.

"[Pace of the Wind]! [Greater Evasion]! [Ability Boost]! [Greater Ability Boost]!" She exclaimed as she closed in for the kill. Momon didn't make a move.

 _I WON'T LOSE TO A NOBODY LIKE YOU!_

It was that thought that led to Clementine's last bad decision. She got in close and jabbed her stilettos into Momon's eyes and unleashed the [Fireball] and [Lightning] spells at the same time. The lightning fried Momon's brain while the fire spread over his entire body. Clementine grinned, convinced she had won, until Momon's arm came up and locked her in a painfully tight hug.

"WHAT!?" Clementine screamed. What answered her objectiveless question was a voice from within the burning armor that had erupted into evil laughter.

"You really thought that would work, didn't you?" came Momon's voice as he removed the stilettos from his eyes with his free hand and dropped them to the ground.

"But how? HOW THE HELL AREN'T YOU DEAD!?" Clementine screamed. As she finished her little tantrum, the fire instantly vanished and Momon's armored form was replaced by a man with a fanged grin and soulless red eye the gleamed in the night: Lucifer Dracul. "Y-YOU'RE A VAMPIRE!?"

"Obviously," Lucifer said as he once again raised his free hand and grabbed the top of her head and forcibly tilted her head to the side. "I haven't had the chance to drink blood in three days and you, my darling Clementine, have been volunteered for the honorable task of being my next meal." Clementine's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. Lucifer leaned forward and sunk his teeth into her neck while using a low tier healing spell on Clementine. For every two drops of blood Clementine lost, she recovered one and because having one's blood drained by a vampire was an extremely painful way to die, the healing magic had been used with the intention prolonging her suffering. To hurt her even more, Lucifer used illusion magic to give Clementine hallucinations. She saw every single person she had ever killed covered in every horrid wound she had ever inflicted upon someone. They were all reaching for her from behind Lucifer, demanding she come and rot with them for her sins. She heard her mother and father whispering in her ears about how her brother was always better than her and how she would never amount to anything more than her brother's body double. Worst of all, she saw her brother laughing at her as he looking down upon her.

"This is why mother and father always loved me the most," the hallucination laughed arrogantly. Clementine screamed and tried to lash out Lucifer. She couldn't move her head since he was holding her from there, keeping her head tilted, so she clawed at his eyes only for her nails to break off, she punched him again and again but he didn't even seem to notice, finally she recalled the morning star on her back, grabbed it, and attempted cave Lucifer's skull in as she struck him again and again.

"YOU BASTAAAAAAAARD! KEEP THEM AWAY FROM ME! DON'T LET HIM TOUCH ME! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" she screamed, half insane at this point while bleeding from her eyes and mouth. Lucifer's response was to tighten his grip on her back until her spinal cord snapped. The intense pain caused her to drop her morning star. There was absolutely nothing she could do. It was as that horrifying fact sank in, she started to vomit out her organs and she finally died. When there was absolutely not a single drop of blood left in her body, Lucifer simply dropped her corpse to the ground and straightened up, his red cloak billowing gently in the wind. Her corpse was skin and bones, a sickly pale, and her internal organs hung out of her gaping mouth. She looked like a Draugr from Skyrim by the time he was done with her. Lucifer stared down at what was left of the wretched woman and, on a whim, kicked the corpse in the face, caving the lifeless husk's skull in.

"Maaaaaasteeeeeeer!" a familiar voice rang out stealing Lucifer's attention away from Clementine's corpse.

 _That goddamn hamster._

Lucifer, now in his usual vampire form turned to face the overgrown rodent. He saw something in Hamsuke's eyes: concern and loyalty for his master. Lucifer gave the smallest of smiles when he saw this.

 _Hamsuke may be a fool, but the creature is a loyal and useful fool. And that is the best kind. Crap, I just realized I don't know if Hamsuke is a boy or a girl. Oh well, cares?_

Upon seeing those blazing red eyes directed at it, Hamsuke skidded to a halt.

"That's not master! It's a monster!" Unfortunately for Hamsuke, Narberal, clad in her Pleiades Maid uniform, picked that moment to land on the beast's head.

"Annoying gerbil," she scoffed not noticing Hamsuke's lack of an ability to breath at the moment do to the fact Narberal was currently standing on its neck. "I honestly don't see whatever it is you do in this creature my lord."

"Its reputation as the Wise King of the Forest is the extent of its usefulness," Lucifer stated coldly. "The more fame the adventurers Momon and Nabe gain the more access we'll have to valuable information. Adding in the fame of the so-called "Wise King" will further our objective." And with that, he entered the mausoleum and found Nfirea bleeding from the eyes and was wearing some kind of translucent robe. On his head was some kind of spider web-like crown. Judging from the gash across his eyes it was obvious he was blind. It was also obvious that the crown was controlling him somehow.

 _That should be easy enough to fix with magic._

He raised his hand to the crown and said:

"[Appraise Magical Item]."

 _Crown of Wisdom? There wasn't an item like this in Yggdrasil. Shame I have to destroy it. I can't afford to jeopardize Momon's reputation._

"[Greater Break Item]." And with that, the crown dissolved into a myriad of tiny lights as Nfirea, now free from the item's affects, slumped over unconscious. Lucifer then set to work on restoring the boy's eyesight. "[Greater Heal Wounds]." The gash vanished as the spell took effect. Lucifer transformed back into Momon and strode out of the mausoleum with Nfirea slumped over his shoulder. Waiting for him at the exit were Narberal, who had changed back into her Nabe outfit, and Hamsuke, who had a large sack on its back full of items they had looted from the corpses of the members of Zuranon. Narberal was holding an item that resembled a black pearl while Hamsuke was doing what Lucifer assumed was the hamster's attempt at bowing.

"Forgive this king for its outburst my lord," Hamsuke chirped. "Devote myself even more to your greatness I shall!" Momon simply nodded in response before turning his attention to the item in Narberal's hands.

"Nabe, what is that?"

"Actually my lord-" Nabe began.

"Master! Please don't take my oath of undying loyalty so lightly! Break my fragile heart it does!" Hamsuke wailed. Momon furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance before deciding to shut the beast up.

"[Aura of Despair Level 1]." The effect was almost instantaneous and Hamsuke fell over for the second time in as many days. After making sure the shivering hamster wouldn't interrupt again, Momon turned back to Nabe. "You were saying?" Nabe, who wasn't even fazed by what just happened, continued.

"Actually, my lord, I was hoping you could tell me." Momon gingerly took the orb out of Nabe's hands and cast a spell.

"[Appraise Magical Item]."

 _Jewel of Death. A sentient item? That definitely wasn't in Yggdrasil. Let's see… The more the living die in its vicinity, the more power it gains. The more power it gains, the more control the wielder has over the undead. Additionally that power can be spent to create more powerful undead. If I killed enough people with this thing nearby, I could create some really powerful undead creatures! I might even be able to make something that didn't exist in Yggdrasil! If this item really is sentient I want to hear it speak. Well I guess the simplest way would be the most efficient way._

"You may speak, Jewel of Death," he stated as he folded his the arm that wasn't holding the jewel behind his back.

"Thank you, Great God of Death," the jewel spoke, in a surprisingly feminine voice. "I am deeply impressed by thy unmatched aura of death and offer my deepest respect to you supreme one." Momon let out a slight chuckle as that statement reminded him of the denizens of Nazarick.

"I don't suppose you don't have anything other than flattery to offer me?" Momon asked bluntly.

"Yes my lord! I meant no disrespect. Before I met thee, all I wanted was to spread death throughout the world. But now I know my true purpose. Great Lord of Death, please accept this humble servant's oath of loyalty. My only wish now is to serve thee, great one."

"At least his thing knows its place," Narbe said before glancing at the still shivering Hamsuke. "This overgrown rodent could learn a thing or two from it."

"What shall I call you?" Momon asked.

"Jewel of Death, my lord," the jewel stated simply. Momon sighed.

"Do you have a name?"

"No, my lord."

"Do you have any objections to my simply calling you Jewel?"

"I have no objections, my lord." Momon nodded in acknowledgment.

"Then you may now consider yourself to be one of my servants and I know exactly what to do with you." As he finished his statement he extended his free hand and, in a flash of light, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown appeared in his hand. Nabe's eyes widened.

"My lord! What are you doing?" Nabe asked as she stared in awe at the staff.

"[Combine Items]!" With the spell cast, Jewel gently floated out of his hand and landed on top of the staff. Both items glowed brightly for a few moments. When the light faded, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown looked almost exactly the same as it always had. The only addition to it was the fact that half of Jewel was visible on top. "How do you feel, Jewel?" Momon asked.

"Powerful, my lord. More powerful than I dreamed was possible!" Jewel exclaimed. Momon grinned under his helmet before teleporting the staff back to Nazarick. He glanced behind him to see Hamsuke had finally gotten up.

"Well then, I suppose it's time for our triumphant return," Momon declared. And with that, the messiah of E-Rantel and his comrades set off back to the Adventures Guild.

* * *

 **Am I the only one who thinks that the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown looked like it was incomplete? I wonder what kinds of undead Lucifer can make now cough cough the Skull Knight from Berserk.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	14. The Black Scripture

Chapter 13: The Black Scripture

Sebas, Shalltear, and Solution were conversing as they waited for their carriage to be set upon by bandits. Their master had given them specific orders: hunt down powerful martial artists, acquire intelligence pertaining to the Re-Estize criminal underworld, and above all else: AVOID THE BLACK SCRIPTURE. They each had been ordered to take a WCI with them, however, because of the limited number of WCIs Pandora's Actor had on hand, Solution had ended up without one. Sebas was wearing the gauntlets [Avarice and Generous], which suited his expertise in hand to hand combat just fine, while Shalltear had been given [Helheim's Mercy], which could revive any player or NPC without fail except for if they had been killed by [Loginus]. Shalltear had been ordered to take it from one of the Pleiades, Aureole Omega, on the 8th floor prior to leaving Nazarick.

"Lady Shalltear," Sebas spoke up. "Forgive me if I'm being rude, but I am a tad curious as to why you keep referring to Lord Dracul as "Father". I was under the impression that you had been created by Lord Peroroncino. Am I incorrect?"

"You're not wrong, Sebas," Shalltear stated as she filed her nails. "I suppose the best way to explain it is that Lord Peroroncino did indeed create me, but it was Lord Dracul who made me what I am. Do you remember when the Supreme Beings used to gather on the 10th Floor to do that "roleplaying" thing they did? I still don't know what that word means but whenever they used that word they discussed matters of great importance or personal matters from which I learned much about the Supreme Beings. One day I heard them talking about how Lord Dracul was the first vampire to ever exist which is why he is known as Father Blood."

"I see. So Lord Dracul really is the god of all vampires," Sebas stated. "So does that mean that every vampire that exists is, essentially, one Lord Dracul's children?"

"Yes. Lord Touch-Me used to make jokes about something called "child support" when that came up," Shaltear said before looking crestfallen. "Lord Dracul… seemed happier back then. He used to make jokes with the other Supreme Beings and spent every minute he could with them. Now he just seems… different. Do not misunderstand me, he is a more amazing ruler than I ever imagined, but do you think he is upset with us?" Shalltear asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"No," Sebas said, afraid to even consider the possibility. After he took a moment to calm himself, he continued. "I don't think our lord likes to admit it, but I think he was deeply hurt when the other Supreme Beings left us."

"I suppose that makes sense," Shalltear said with a sigh of relief.

"Do you think there is a possibility that our lord may leave us one day to join the other Supreme Beings?" Solution spoke up.

"I doubt it. I was present with him in the throne room on the day we came to this new world. He was upset with the others for leaving us all. I believe his exact words were: "Damn you all, why did you leave me". Additionally with the efforts he has taken to strengthen Nazarick in preparation for our conquest of this new world, it is my belief that our master is here to stay," Sebas declared. Suddenly the felt that carriage stop and heard jeering outside.

"I believe our resident scum had arrived," Shalltear said with an evil grin.

* * *

Ainzach, the leader of the E-Rantel Adventurer's Guild, sighed as he finished looking over the reports from the undead invasion that had been stopped just a few hours ago. They had finally finished counting all the bodies and investigating what happened in the E-Rantel Cemetery. The Skeleton Dragons had been obliterated and the necromancer who was suspected of causing all this had been fried by magic. What was concerning was the corpse they found of a woman that had been completely drained of blood. Nowhere in his reports had there been anything that mentioned a vampire, and yet, based off the marks on the victim's neck, that's exactly what killed this woman. If there really was a vampire lurking about then it was the Adventurer's Guild's duty to hunt the beast down. As for the casualty report: 1,234 people, not even counting the guards and adventurers who gave their lives to save the innocent, had been killed that night. Now, it was time to talk to the man at the center of it all: Momon.

"Laura!" he called the receptionist. "Send him in, please." Momon walked in, looking every bit a hero, and took a seat. From his confident stride to the dents in his armor, he looked like he'd seen some shit.

 _I'm glad I beat up the armor a little more to sell the story._

"You wanted to see me sir?" Momon stated more than inquired.

"Yes. From all the reports I've seen, when it looked like E-Rantel was doomed, you are the one who led the charge to retake the city and eliminated the necromancer who was in charge of this catastrophe. I would like your account of what happened."

"It started about an hour after my return with Nfirea and the Swords of Darkness. We were separated while Nabe and I registered Hamsuke with the guild," Momon began as he took off his helmet, showing the face created by [Mortal's Mask].

"Please, I don't mean to sound like a asshole, but can you skip to the part when the fighting broke out?" Ainzach asked.

"Sure," Momon replied. "Nabe, Hamsuke, and I were on the south side of the city searching for leads as to what happened to Nfirea when screaming people started running away from the north. We decided to investigate and we discovered the army of the undead. I told Nabe to go alert the guild while Hamsuke and I held them off until reinforcements arrived."

"Good work, but what happened in the graveyard. Why was there a woman who had been killed by a vampire?

 _Dammit. I'll need to cover this._

"Nabe handled the necromancer, Khajiit, while I-"

"Hold on!" Ainzach interrupted as he leaned forward over his desk. "Did you say Khajiit?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"Yeah, crazy bastard was a big deal in Zuranon. Who knows what those undead worshipping psychopaths were up to by attacking the city?"

 _Cultists who worship the undead? They could prove useful. I'll have to figure out how to get in contact with them._

"Sorry for interrupting Momon. Go ahead," Ainzach said as he laid back in his chair.

"Right," Momon said, a little annoyed by being interrupted again. "While Nabe dueled Khajiit, I engaged the two Skeleton Dragons he had summoned and after a fearsome battle, we managed to kill the enemy." Ainzach went silent for a few moments.

"Skeleton Dragons?"

"Yes."

"And you killed the both on your own? How?" Ainzach asked awe. Momon smirked and pointed to the swords on his back.

"With these," he proclaimed proudly. Ainzach stared in disbelief.

"That's absolutely insane and I wouldn't believe you if it wasn't for the eye witness accounts regarding the Skeleton Dragons and the fact that they're immune to magic so Nabe couldn't have killed them."

 _No, she couldn't. Narberal on the other hand…._

"So that woman, who was she?" Ainzach asked.

"I believe her name was Clementine. She was working with Khajiit and the moment the fighting started she ran away. After Nabe and I had dealt with the enemy, we found a vampire hunched over her corpse, but it fled before we could engage." Momon lied.

"Clementine… I've heard that name somewhere," Ainzach muttered. "What did this vampire look like?"

"Couldn't get a good look," was all Momon said. Ainzach sighed before handing something to Momon. Momon's eyes widened. Not just one, but two Orichalcum Adventurer Plates!

"You and Ms. Nabe have more than earned this," Ainzach said with a smile. "E-Rantel would be a city of death if it wasn't for you. I'd have made you an Adamantite Plate if it wasn't for Igvarge's bitching, but I have no doubt it's only a matter of time until you reach that point!" Momon smiled in response on the outside, but on the inside he was already coming up with a plan to kill this Igvarge. "Go get a good night's rest and tell the innkeeper it's on me. You earned the hell out of it!"

"Thank you, sir," Momon replied as he headed back to the inn.

* * *

Shalltear wasn't just livid, she was beyond livid. She was ready to SHIT A CHICKEN! Everything had been going so well. She hunted down those bandits and followed them back to their lair, humiliated the man with blue hair, and killed all his fellow criminals. That's when things started to go wrong.

 _Lord Dracul told us to avoid leaving witnesses. Oh, he's going to be so mad at me! Why did that earthworm, Brain Unglaus, Brian Unglass, whatever the vermin's name was, WHY DID HE HAVE TO ESCAPE!?_

Now Shalltear was staring at a group of adventurers who had just so happened to appear from atop a ridge. She was in her True Form, which looked a crazy old woman who had been born from cross-species breeding between a human and a fish. At least these lower life forms were intelligent enough to stay in formation.

 **"** **Noooooooot baaaaaaaaaaaaad,"** she hissed in an inhuman voice. The magic caster of the group straightened up when he heard her.

"Hostile might be a vampire! Silver weapons and magic only! Victory unlikely! Don't look at its eyes! Our goal is to keep that thing at bay while we retreat back to E-Rantel!" he shouted to his comrades.

"Doesn't look like any vampire I've ever seen!" one of the warriors exclaimed.

"Shut up!" a woman with red hair ordered as she applied alchemical silver to everyone's weapons. With the properties of silver now applied to their weapons, they began their organized retreat. As Shalltear glared at them, she became conflicted with herself. She knew was supposed to capture them but her bloodlust had clouded her judgment. She wanted to tear them apart and bathe in their blood! SHE COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! She jumped towards the closest one and stabbed at him with her hand. Her hand tore through his shield, into his chest, and then ripped out his heart as she laughed maniacally. While the others were in shock, Shalltear continued her work on the corpse.

"[Raise Dead]!" she giggled as the corpse became a low level zombie. She then vomited a small amount of blood onto the heart and stuffed it back into the hole from which she had acquired that heart. After several convulsions, the zombie began to transform. The other adventurers stared in horror as its skin cracked and turned gray, fingers extended into claws, and canines grew into fangs. The adventurers had just witnessed the birth of a Lesser Vampire.

"Impossible! I've never heard of a vampire who could do anything like that!"

"Well you have now!"

"Meh."

"What do you mean "meh"!? We're gonna die!"

"Retreat is impossible! We have to fight!" the magic caster cried.

"My lord, the God of Fire! Destroy this unholy creature!" the adventurer's bishop chanted as a burst of divine energy was released. Because the zombie hadn't fully transformed into a Lesser Vampire yet, the attack was effective against it, but not Shalltear.

 **"** **DIE!"** Shalltear hissed as she grabbed another warrior by the neck and tore out his throat. As the Lesser Vampire continued to fight the other warrior, Shalltear turned her attention to the bishop. The redhead jumped in front of him as if to be a human shield for him.

 _I'll save her for last._

With that thought, she jumped over the woman and bit the bishop's head off as she made her landing. Suddenly, a blade coated in silver erupted through Shalltear's chest as the redhead stabbed her from behind.

All was silent.

And then Shalltear started laughing as the redhead's eyes widened in fear. The magic caster raised his hand to cast a spell but he was interrupted as the Lesser Vampire, who had finished its fight, pounced on him like a wild animal and sunk his fangs into the poor man. With him taken care of, all that was left was the redhead, who had pulled the sword back out of Shalltear and had been hacking away at her for a good thirty seconds now. Shalltear smacked the sword out of the woman's hand and slowly approached. In a last ditch effort, the redhead took out some kind of red potion and threw it at her. Shalltear allowed it to hit her so she could see the woman's expression of hopelessness when she realized that it had no effect. As potion bottle shattered on contact with Shalltear and the potion splashed onto her, she felt something: pain. Shalltear hissed in pain as her bloodlust instantly vanished and she finally recognized the bottle. It was the same type that was used in Nazarick. As her appearance returned to normal, she turned to her Lesser Vampire and pointed at the fleeing redhead.

"You! Bring me that woman!" she ordered with her voice returned to normal. The Lesser Vampire sped off to obey its mistress and shortly after, returned dragging the redhead by her feet. "Look into my eyes!" Shalltear commanded as she used [Demon Eyes of Attraction]. Once the mind control took effect, Shalltear started asking her questions. "Where did you get that potion from?" she demanded.

"A man in black armor at a tavern in E-Rantel," the redhead replied. Shalltear felt something she hadn't felt in a long time: fear.

 _Oh, no! Did father give this woman instructions? Is she part of the plan? HAVE I RUINED MY MASTER'S PLANS!?_

"Was this your entire team? Is there anyone else?" Shalltear asked frantically.

"There's one more of us. A ranger. He is supposed to head back to E-Rantel in case we need reinforcements," the redhead responded. Shalltear panicked.

"Keep an eye on her!" Shalltear ordered the Lesser Vampire as she jumped out of the basin and started scanning her surroundings. She didn't hear or see anyone. She growled since this was the second person she had lost tonight.

 _HOW COULD I BE SO FOOLISH!?_

"Come children!" she commanded as her shadows wriggled and level 7 Vampire Wolves emerged. "Hunt down every human in the forest and kill them!" The wolves rushed into the forest to carry out their mistress's command. Shalltear was very upset with herself because of how she had gone against her master's orders. "I'm in so much trouble!" she sniffed. She couldn't even kill the woman now because she didn't know what her master intended for her.

"Mistress Shalltear?" a Vampire Bride spoke up.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT!?"

"We have found a number of women tied up within the bandit lair. We believe they were being used as sex slaves. What shall we do with them?" Shalltear was about to yell that she didn't know when she sensed her Vampire Wolves get killed. The problems just kept adding up. Shalltear sighed and, deciding to face the music, used [Message].

[Father?]

[Shalltear, how pleasant it is hear from you. How goes your mission?] Her master messaged back, evidently in a good mood. Shalltear cringed as she realized she was about to ruin that good mood.

[I've run into a few snags, sir.]

[Go on.]

[I ran into a female adventurer who had a potion from Nazarick] She heard her master chuckle a bit before he answered.

[Ah, Brita. Kill her, she is a liability at this point and we can't afford to leave witnesses.]

[I also eliminated a bandit hive and found that they have sex slaves with them. What shall we do with them?]

[Kill them all. We will come back for their corpses later and add them to our army.]

{Yes father. But I have some bad news. A ranger from a group of adventurers has escaped me and is heading to E-Rantel to gather reinforcements. Additionally, another human who was skilled in martial arts escaped me.]

[How did this happen?]

[I…. uh …. May have gone into a blood frenzy….]

 **[YOU WHAT!?]** Came her master's true, terrifying, demonic voice. Shalltear was shaking in fear of her father's wrath.

[Please, father! I will accept any punishment when I return to Nazarick, but right now we have a bigger problem! Something has killed my Vampire Wolves!]

[Investigate with extreme caution and whatever you do, DON'T GO INTO ANOTHER BLOOD FRENZY! We will discuss your failure later.] And with that, Lucifer ended the spell. That word kept echoing through Shalltear's mind. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Her discussion with Sebas, still fresh in her mind, made even more worried as she along with her Vampire Brides and Lesser Vampire raced through the forest. Under any other circumstances she would've turned back into her True Form by now, however, based off how that worked last time, she decided not to risk angering her father anymore.

 _There can't be anymore slip ups. If father decides that we aren't worthy of him like the other Supreme Beings did then he'll leave us and it will be all my fault!_

* * *

Jigsaw stared down at Clementine's corpse. It was still fresh. Behind him, stood the five Clockwork Soldiers that stood at the ready, prepared to butcher anyone or anything that got too close. Why had Jigsaw been allowed outside of Nazarick? Orders from his lord. He was to secure the corpse before anyone could attempt resurrection magic on it in an attempt to learn more about the "mysterious" vampire that had killed her. What would happen to the body after they brought it to Nazarick? His benevolent master had left that up to him.

 _Perfect._

Jigsaw leaned closer as he thought about which body parts he would replace and, much to his dismay, found that flies were already being attracted to the lifeless husk. He had to move the corpse quickly before the adventurers came back. He looked back over to his Clockwork soldiers and started ordering them about.

"Oi! Help me move her, ya bloody wankers!"

 _She will make a fantastic Bride of Frankenstein._

* * *

Shalltear and her servants observed the humans from the trees at a distance. Their leader had long, green hair and was, honestly Shalltear wouldn't have been able to figure out if it was a he or a she if it wasn't for the fact she already knew who they were and what that meant. Divine Class gear, the vibe they gave off as combat veterans, the information Nigun had provided Nazarick, the crest of the Slane Theocracy, and the fact that she could clearly sense that they far above the average humans. All of this together could only mean one thing. These were those humans that had the WCI [Downfall of Castle and Country]: the Black Scripture. The Black Scripture had been sent out by the Slane Theocracy on a secret mission to stop the Catastrophe Dragon Lord from reviving. They looked like they were getting ready to set up camp, that is, until one of them turned and saw Shalltear poking her head out of the forest.

"Captain!" a man in impressive armor hold an enormous lance called out. "Possible hostile!" Ruvik Alaf spun around and his eyes landed on a short, but beautiful girl. But it wasn't her looks that got his attention, it was her red eyes.

"It's a vampire, Gregor!" Ruvik, declared in a calm tone to the man with the lance. "Defensive positions! Prepare to engage! Gregor and Beaumarchais with me!" he ordered as a man in yellow with a tattoo on his face rushed to Ruvik's side. "Cedran, protect Lady Kaire!" once those words left his mouth a man in heavy black armor with a red bandanna jumped in front of an old woman, who wore a white robe with the image of a golden dragon upon it, and raised his shields. One shield was blue and gold, looking like it belonged to a hero, while the other was similar in shape and design to the shield that Death Knights employed. The robe the old woman wore was [Downfall of Castle and Country] itself. Ruvik, Beaumarchais, and Gregor charged at Shalltear while Cedran and Kaire slowly brought up the rear.

"Insignificant lower life forms!" Shalltear exclaimed as she and her Vampire Brides engaged the enemy while taking care to remain out of range of Kiare's [Downfall of Castle and Country]. Beaumarchais whipped his chain towards one of the Brides.

"[Divine Chain]!" he shouted as the chain acted as a whip and left the Vampire Bride with the end result being a gash across her chest glowing as if it was burning her. Shalltear cringed as she saw what the clearly holy weapon had done to her subordinate. Gregor was locked in heated battle with the other Vampire Bride but it looked like he was slowly overpowering her. Shalltear winced in pain as Ruvik's spear grazed her left arm.

"[Blood Blast]!" she roared causing a red explosion erupted near Ruvik. Ruvik rolled out of the way and attempted an overhead thrust. Shalltear dodge and as the spear struck the ground, a small fissure appeared, cracking the earth. Shalltear's eyes widened. She had never imagined that a human could be so strong. "[Mass Hold Species]!" as those words left her mouth a number of the Black Scripture found their movements constricted. Although slowed, Kaire was still getting closer and it was making Shalltear anxious. She was almost in range! Shalltear had a WCI, but she didn't want to take unnecessary risks that may further disappoint her father. "[Purifying Javelin!]" she cried as she threw a javelin made of light at her. Cedran jumped in front of in order to use his shields to defend Kaire but in vain. Shalltear's attack went through Cedran's shields, through Cedran and then struck its target: Kaire.

"Lady Kaire!" a man in brown and white robes with blonde hair and pink eyes shouted. Taking advantage of the Black Scripture's momentary distraction, Shalltear and the Vampire Brides immediately fled back into the forest.

"After that monster!" Ruvik ordered. However, Shalltear and her subordinates were faster and easily obtained sufficient distance between them and the Black Scripture.

With a feeling of satisfaction since she had managed to eliminate the biggest threat, or at least critically injure her, Shalltear used the [Message] spell to contact her master once more.

[My lord?]

[Now what?] He was still angry.

[I have good news and bad news my lord! The bad news is that my and Vampire Brides and I engaged the Black Scripture. I just escaped and they are attempting to hunt me through the forest!]

[Are you alright?] Shalltear was glad that despite how she had failed her father, he was still concerned for her safety.

[Yes my lord and that brings me to the good news: I managed to take Kaire, the one who can use [Downfall of Castle and Country], out of commission!]

[Exemplary work Shalltear now fall back immediately! Perhaps we can use your previous mistakes to our advantage in this situation. Begin surveillance of the east side of the forest!] Part of Shalltear was still angry at herself for allowing so many mistakes to occur while another part of her was admiring her father for, apparently, being able to turn this unfortunate turn of events into an opportunity.

[Yes father!]

With that, Lucifer ended the spell and put his hand to his temple as he formed a plan to deal with the situation.

 _That ranger will be back soon and will tell Ainzach about a powerful vampire killing his comrades. They've seen Shalltear's True Form but her usual appearance should be safe once Lucifer Dracul makes his public appearance. This martial artist, whoever he is, is the only loose end, but if he really was travelling with bandits then we can use that as an excuse. Once Ainzach hears about this vampire, he should logically assume it was the same vampire who killed Clementine so that means….._

An evil grin emerged on Lucifer's face as he finalized his plan. It was foolproof. It would allow him to clean up Shalltear's mess, raise Momon's fame, and hurt the Slane Theocracy in one fell swoop. He activated [Message].

[Albedo, get Pandora's Actor and Demiurge along with any Death Knights we can spare and establish surveillance around the forest near E-Rantel. No one gets in or out of that forest without me knowing! I'll send you the full list of the forces I want overlooking the area later.]

[Yes my love! Anything for the Supreme One!]

* * *

 **The reason I made Momon Orichalsum instead of Mythril is because he let the situation get worse before he saved the day to make him look even more like a hero. The blonde dude you saw a minute ago is** **Kuaiesse Hazeia Quintia, Clementine's brother. I fell asleep yesterday before I could finish this chapter but I woke up early today so I coud get more done. More will be up later today.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	15. Lies and Preparations

Chapter 14: Lies and Preparations

"I'm glad you could make it Momon," Ainzach said as Momon took a seat at the table and removed his helmet. He glanced around at the mythril class adventurer teams who were also gathered here. There was Igvarge of Kralgra, Bellote of Sky Wolf, and Moknach of Rainbow. Additionally, there was a very thin man that Momon recognized as Theo Rakheshir, the guild master of the E-Rantel Mages Guild, and a rather plump man who everyone knew was Panasolei Gruze Day Rettenmaier, the mayor of E-Rantel. Momon felt a certain smugness as he realized he was the highest ranked adventurer in the room….. unless you counted Ainzach.

"Damn, foreigners," Igvarge muttered as he looked at Momon's face. Momon simply ignored the pest.

"I'm honored to be here," Momon said with false friendliness. "However, I get the sense that this isn't a social call. Has something else happened?" Ainzach nodded grimly. Before the guild master could even open his mouth, Igvarge started bitching.

"He hasn't even been an adventurer for a week! Why the hell is he here?" he demanded irritably. He had worked long and hard to get where he was, killed innocents and lied so no bad rumors about him spread, and the thought that Momon could rise through the ranks, and even surpass him, so quickly infuriated Igvarge.

"Stop complaining, Igvarge," Moknach said, sick of the man's attitude.

"He DID save the whole city, Igvarge," Bellote said diplomatically. Igvarge, seeing he was in the minority, decided to shut up but continued to glare at Momon like an upset child.

"Now, that we're all here, another situation has arisen that I fear may be connected to the events of last night," Ainzach began.

 _I spent all night talking to Demiurge to come up with what we could say here. I'm going to have to give these fools a sneak peak of Operation: Hellfire a month in advance._

Momon thought as recalled Demiurge's plan regarding the capitol city of Re-Estize and his alter ego: Jaldabaoth.

"As you all know, a mob of the undead attacked E-Rantel last night and butchered countless civilians," Ainzach continued. "The undead almost succeeded in taking the city until Momon arrived and turned the tide of battle, thanks again by the way." Momon nodded in response while Igvarge crossed his arms.

"I could've done it," he muttered to himself although that didn't keep Momon from hearing him.

 _Really? I didn't see you out there princess._

"What isn't common knowledge is that the attack was orchestrated by Khajiit Dale Badantel, a high ranking member of Zuranon," Ainzach stated. "Additionally, in the midst of the chaos, there was a vampire attack shortly followed by an adventurer team being slaughtered by a vampire. I believe that these instances revolve around the same vampire."

"What do we know about this vampire?" Moknach asked.

"It can't be that tough," Igvarge said arrogantly.

"Calling it a powerful vampire is putting it mildly," Ainzach said as he ignored Igvarge. "The ranger who survived said that it was immune to silver weapons and holy magic. Additionally, it can cast high level magic with frightening ease and create Lesser Vampires out of every human that it kills. The way the ranger described the foul creature was: it looked like a corpse that had spent years rotting in hell before it crawled its way back out." Everyone was silent as the details of the vampire's prowess came to light.

"So," Bellote said. "Are you saying that every person this vampire kills becomes another vampire?" Ainzach nodded in response.

"Should we strengthen the city's defenses?" Panasolei wheezed out.

"Pointless," Theo finally spoke up. "If this vampire is indeed a magic caster then it would be very easy for it to infiltrate the city. This isn't the Empire where they have their Sky Calvary patrol the airspace above Arwinter."

"So what should we do?" Igvarge asked, deciding to start taking this seriously. As the humans debated Momon suddenly received a [Message].

[Guten tag Lord Dracuuuuuuuuul!]

 _Pandora's Actor. I've been putting off meeting with him because I was afraid of him embarrassing me in front of the other NPCs._

[Pandora's Actor, is that you?]

[Mein Führer! It pleases this most huuuuuuuuuuuuuumble of dienerschaft that you remember him!]

 _I was expecting him to be embarrassing, but if anything he is entertaining as hell._

[It is good to hear from you my creation. How are things going on your end?]

[Our observation net has been established! Albedo and Demiurge are handling the north and south sides of the forest, while I have led several of your gepanzert Death Knights to the west side as well as the loooooooooooooovely laaaaaaaaaaadies Yuri Alpha and CZ2128, who has taken up a sniping position.]

[Good work Pandora's Actor. Has anyone managed to leave the forest?]

[Nein.]

[Good. Continue to keep them boxed in until I get there. I won't be much longer.] With that Momon ended the message and continued to listen to the humans.

"So you think this vampire is affiliated with Zuranon?" Panasolei had gulped.

"There is a high probability given their obsession with the undead," Ainzach replied.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," Momon spoke out. Everyone's head swiveled around to stare at him.

"Do you know what's going on Momon?" Moknach asked. Momon nodded.

"I know the vampire's name, why it's here, and who sent it," he listed off.

"How?" Theo questioned.

"Because it's the vampire I've been chasing all this time." Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at the Dark Knight. "That is an extremely powerful vampire that I've been hunting for three years now. The reason I became an adventurer here in the first place was because I lost track of it about two months ago and I was hoping that becoming an adventurer would give me access to information that could lead me to where it ended up. Funny how things work out."

"Then what are we dealing with here, Momon?" Theo asked.

"This vampire is known as Valeda Tepes," Momon stated the name he came up with last night.

"Okay, everyone here is thinking about it, I'm just the one asking it. Momon, who are you and where are you from?" Panasolei demanded.

"I'm sorry mayor but I can't answer that. All you need to know is that I was sent out with the purpose of hunting down and destroying this vampire and the abomination's master," Momon said refusing to give up such information. The mayor sighed but nodded in understanding.

"Why is it here? Is there something we can do so it will leave the city alone?" Moknach asked.

"No, she wants something that is inside the city. As to what I don't have the answer, but in every city I've tracked it to, the Eight Fingers have some level of influence so I believe it has something to do with them. However over the years I've been hunting her, Valeda has picked up a number of lower vampire subordinates. I'm expecting an extra 3 dozen Lesser Vampires to be present," Momon supplied.

"You said it has a master. Does it serve another vampire, Momon?" Ainzach asked, a little shaken after hearing the number of vampires they would have to deal with.

"No, it serves Jaldabaoth, a demon whose power is greater than even that of the Evil Deities," Momon declared as everyone else in the room turned pale.

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Igvarge shouted.

"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not seeing as he isn't the one we're dealing with today," Momon said, not caring for the fool's outburst. "Let my team and I go and deal with this. Payment can be discussed later but I would like to be raised to Adamantite Plate once this is taken care of. It will make my hunt for Jaldabaoth much easier." The others nodded to each other in agreement since his reasoning was sound.

"No fucking way!"

Except for Igvarge.

"I don't trust you and I can't believe that a vampire that powerful exists! Like it or not I'm going with you!" Igvarge declared.

"Igvarge!" Ainzach shouted in a manner that meant: shut up.

"It's fine sir," Momon said. "But be warned Igvarge, you almost certainly will die." It wasn't a threat. It was a promise. But Igvarge was too thickheaded to back down.

"For you maybe!" Igvarge growled.

"That brings up a question, Momon," Theo spoke up. "I can clearly see that you are confident in your ability to deal with this threat and no one here can deny your strength, but how can we be sure that you will emerge victorious?"

"I have two reasons to remain confident in my chances of winning," Momon said as he laid his massive black swords on the table. "First are my swords. They've been enchanted with powerful magic. See for yourself Mr. Rakheshir." Theo walked over to the table and cast a spell.

"[Detect Enchant]!" after a few moments of silence, Theo's eyes widened as he found the enchantments Momon had added to his swords last night. "This-this is imbued 7th-Tier-Magic! [Holy Smite]! Where did you get these swords!?"

"Family heirloom," Momon shrugged. "Don't bother asking who enchanted them, he's dead. But these are the perfect weapons for hunting vampires and demons alike."

 _Technically I really am dead._

"The second is this Sealing Crystal. This is what's really going to kill that thing," Momon said as he held up the same blue crystal Nigun had used against him to summon Dominion Authority. Once again, Theo used [Detect Enchant] and this time he absolutely freaked out. "INCREDIBLE! THIS IS REALLY MYTHICAL 8TH-TIER-MAGIC!"

 _It's not that impressive._

"The spell in this crystal will put a curse on the vampire causing it to take damage from moonlight. So we will go out, set up camp, and strike when comes up." That was a lie of course. The true purpose of attacking at night was that humans couldn't see as well in the dark and he would get his +15 stat buff.

"Let's move," Igvarge said and walked out while deliberately bumping into Momon. Ignoring him, Momon looked over at the mayor.

"Mayor, I suggest you lock down the city to keep people away from the battle. No one gets in or out," he said as he walked out the door.

"Will do!" Panasolei replied.

* * *

A hooded man stood in front of the Bareare Pharmacy, only to find it closed. What had happened while he was gone?

"Do we really have to lock down the whole city, Pops?" he overheard a guard ask his captain.

"Orders are orders, boys," the grizzled veteran replied. "Although personally, I don't think we have to worry about it. After all, they're sending the Dark Knight Momon to kill the vampire!" he added with a grin.

 _Momon? Who the hell is that? It kinda sounds like…..Nah, I must be losing my mind._

* * *

Miles away Igvarge was throwing a tantrum while his teammates stared at the tall man in fear. Momon had revealed his true colors. Lucifer Dracul simply stared at them with his usual cold smile and soulless eyes.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Igvarge roared at the vampire. Lucifer rolled his eyes as he tightened his grip on the new and improved Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. After he had added Jewel to it, he was a little worried she would find a way to turn the staff against him. His concerns were unfounded however. Although she was sentient, she had no control over what she did. She was simply an item to be used. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU BASTARD! LOOK AT-" deciding he had heard enough of his ranting, but not wanting to waste magic, he decided to simply smack the pest across the face with staff resulting in the annoying man's neck being snapped. Lucifer turned around to look at Albedo who was smiling as if she hadn't just seen a cold blooded murder.

"Albedo, be a dear and kill the rest," he said coldly. Albedo tilted her head cutely.

"As you say my lord," she replied happily as she pulled her enormous battle axe from out of nowhere and started carrying out her orders. Ignoring the sounds of people dying, Lucifer turned to Demiurge.

"Have the Black Scripture made any moves?" Lucifer asked as he licked the blood that had splattered onto his hand.

"No my lord," Demiurge replied. "It seems they're content to stay in the forest and play "Hide and Seek" among the trees," he reported mocking the humans.

"I see," Lucifer said as he pointed the staff at Igvarge's corpse after deciding to experiment with its new features. He had used [Appraise Magical Item] earlier so he knew what he could do now. "[Create Skull Knight]!" Igvarge's corpse convulsed until it become a tall monster in black, bone-like armor that made it look a bit more regal than the average Death Knight, and had a skull for a head. (It's the Skull Knight from Berserk)

"Intriguing," Demiurge, who had been watching, said as he adjusted his glasses. "I've never seen an undead like that before. As expected of you, Lord Dracul. I knew you excelled at necromancy, but never had I imagined you could create an entirely new breed of undead creatures." Lucifer smirked at Demiurge's praise as Albedo approached, axe dripping with blood.

"Let's go. The others are waiting for us," Lucifer ordered as he headed towards the rendezvous point while the demon and the succubus followed close behind. "It's time we put an end to this childish game."

* * *

 **Sorry about short chapter. I had to fill in for someone at work and now I'm exhausted :(**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	16. Divide and Conquer

Chapter 15: Divide and Conquer

Ruvik Alaf continued to berate himself for letting his team to be put into this situation. When he and the rest of Black Scripture had engaged the vampire he had been sure that he had made the right call to pursue the foul creature into the forest. Not only had they been unable to locate it but whenever they tried to leave they would come under fire from snipers using long range magic. They had tried every side of the forest. North? Snipers. South? Snipers. East? Snipers. West? Snipers. Now he and the rest of the Black Scripture had gathered in the middle of the forest in order to have the most cover. Thousand Leagues Astrologer, or Avenir, which was her real name even though she never told anyone what her last name was, had tried to use Intelligence Magic to figure out where the enemy was shooting from in an attempt to find the enemy's blindspots but something kept blocking her vision and caused her to bleed from the eyes. After using healing magic to restore her eyesight she had gone quiet. Ruvik hated seeing her like that. He would never admit it, but he found her to be very attractive and blue hair only added to that. "Divine Chant" Isabella Melek, who looked every bit a holy woman among holy women, was on her knees, praying, while singing a hymn to the Six. As usual, she was completely calm. However, being calm didn't change the fact that they were stuck here until the enemy made their next move.

"I'm so bored!" a young man in green, "Time Turbulence" Oras Fries, complained. "I wish they would just come at us already so we can kill them all!" he said with his usual arrogance. His ability allowed him to temporarily stop time so he, naturally, believed that he was invincible. The 3rd seat of the Black Scripture, "Arcane Master" Zur, hadn't said a word the whole time. Not that this was unusual for the hooded man. He had always been kinda creepy with the big black robes and sickly skin that made him look even older than he already did. He just stared into nothingness.

 _Creepy old man._

The other strong and silent type of the group, "Heaven and Earth" Wralk Rache, was leaning against a tree in his usual full bodysuit. He wasn't silent by choice however, it was because his tongue had been cut out before he joined the Black Scripture. Ruvik still didn't really know anything about him even though he had been with the group for years. That didn't change the fact that he was the fastest man alive.

"Always seek conflict little one, for it will often find you when you do not want it to and leave you when you seek it," the 10th seat on the Black Scripture, "Strongest Human" Memento Mori, said to Oras. Mori may look like a total barbarian, but his age had given him some….. interesting wisdom. It was either him or Zur who were the oldest on the team, but they could never get Zur to open up. The 7th seat wore what the Six Gods had called a "school uniform" and had light purple glasses. Her name was "Analysis" Garuna Stark. Her skill was to identify any weaknesses the enemy may have. The purse she always had with her was so heavy that, other than her, only Mori could pick it up. She rarely ever opened it, but she was capable of unleashing an army of angels from it if she so wished. She hadn't done so because, at the moment, remaining undetected was their best option. Kuaiesse Hazeia Quintia, "One Man Army", was a beast master who wore magic rings with basilisks and other creatures sealed within. He wore brown and white robes and looked very much like his traitor sister, Clementine. Gregor and Beaumarchais were keeping an eye on Kaire, who had survived the strike from the vampire but was critically injured, while Cedran had been killed outright. By this point, Ruvik usually would've used his holy magic to revive Cedran and heal Kaire by now, but the wounds had been corrupted somehow and he would need to enact a purifying ritual back at Humanika if he wanted to heal them. But, once again, they were trapped in the forest for now.

* * *

"Has the [Anti-Intelligence Magic Wall] been set up?" Lucifer asked as Albedo, Demiurge, Shalltear, and Pandora's Actor entered the small tent that had been set up as a command center. It was rather barren apart from the table in the middle with a large map of the area on it.

"Yes mein Gott. Eeeeveeeeerything has been prepared according to your specifications!" Pandora's Actor said proudly.

"Between our combined forces, we should be able to hunt them down throughout the forest with relative ease," Demiurge reported with an evil grin.

"Why go after them when we can drive them out towards us?" Lucifer said with a smirk. Albedo perked up and smiled.

"You're about to do something fun aren't you my lord?" she asked with a flap of her wings.

* * *

Ruvik had was sharpening his spear when the sky pale blue light started to shine down from the sky. Looking around for the source of this change of events, his eyes landed on a tall man in black wearing a red cloak stood upon a hill overlooking the forest with his arms outstretched. A magic circle had formed around him and Ruvik, although the only magic he knew was holy magic, could tell that whatever spell this man was using was far out of their league. He was confident, but he wasn't a fool.

"Everyone out of the forest! Now!" Ruvik bellowed to his comrades. Once Mori picked up Cedran and Kaire, they all started running as fast as they could. Ruvik looked back to see who was with him. To his dismay, in their panic, the group had become separated. With him was Zur, Oras, Kuaiesse, Garuna, and Mori who was carrying Kaire and Cedran over his shoulders. Ruvik grimaced. Most of the team had come in this direction, but the one he was the most worried about, Avenir, was nowhere to be seen. Ruvik pushed his worry out of his mind and continued to race to the edge of the forest.

* * *

Lucifer grinned as he sensed the group of beating hearts separate and start running towards the edges of the forest. When all of humanity was united, even to Lucifer they were a significant threat. But divide them, cloud their hearts and minds, make them turn on each other, and pick them off one at a time, then they were easy pickings. The same principle applied to the Black Scripture to a lesser degree. It was a relatively simple plan: Divide and conquer. If they were all together there was a chance that the Black Scripture could overcome one of the Floor Guardians. Divide them and their chances of victory were diminished. All the humans could hope for was to escape. With that thought in mind, Lucifer finished the spell with an evil grin.

"[Fallen Down]!" as he finished the Super-Tier spell, a pillar of light cascaded down upon the forest and obliterated it.

* * *

Avenir couldn't believe what just happened. She had barely escaped the blast, but Wralk hadn't been so lucky. He had almost made it to safety and now there was nothing left of him. No body, not even dust, just nothing. She looked back at her surviving comrades Gregor, Beaumarchais, and Isabella, with hope in her heart that Ruvik had managed to escaped, and spoke to them.

"I'm sure that the others made it out. We can't stay here or the snipers will start shooting at us again. We will see our friends again at Humanika!" she declared in a soft voice.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gregor asked filled with determination. "Let's go!"

* * *

Ruvik had never seen such tremendous power but he had no time to think about that. They were out in the open again and although the snipers hadn't opened fire yet, he wasn't expecting the situation to stay that way. Frantically looking around for any means of escape his eyes landed on a hole in the ground that the destructive spell had revealed. It seemed to be an entrance into an underground tunnel system.

"Everyone into the hole! Move!" he ordered. Everyone except Zur jumped into the hole as quick as they could. "C'mon Zur!"

"Incredible," Zur breathed. For the first time in all the years that Ruvik had known the old man, this was the first time he had seen any expression other than general unhappiness on the old man's face. He was bewildered and there was an odd twinkle in his eyes. Despite his old age, Zur could see things that others couldn't. And as he stared at the sorcerer that had caused this, he saw soulless red eyes and fangs like the jaws of the underworld.

He saw Death itself.

Deciding he had enough of the old man's strange behavior, Ruvik grabbed him and starting dragging him into the hole.

* * *

Lucifer frowned as he saw the last of Ruvik's team head into the hole. Apparently, someone had constructed a system of tunnels underneath the forest. Who, he couldn't say, but what he did know was that fighting in close quarters like in some narrow caverns with enemies that had Divine class gear and weapons in addition to their numerical advantage would be a nightmare. Lucifer himself wouldn't even be able to fit because of how narrow the hole was. Still, he couldn't let them go without a fight. So there was only one person he could send down there.

"Pandora's Actor," Lucifer commanded. "Get after those fools in the tunnels."

"Jawohl!" Pandora's Actor said with a salute before rushing towards the hole at incredible speed. While Pandora's Actor may not be a skilled combatant, he was smart and knew how to use items, surroundings, and his shape shifting abilities to his advantage. With that taken care of, Lucifer turned to Albedo and Shalltear as Demiurge continued to coordinate their forces to keep anyone from finding out what was really going on here.

"Let's move."

* * *

The pillar of light could be seen from E-Rantel. Theo had never seen anything like it.

 _Was that the 8_ _th_ _-Tier-Magic that Momon had!? INCREDIBLE!_

"Do you think he won?" Ainzach asked.

"I think so, but we should wait until Momon comes back just to be safe," Theo replied. Elsewhere in the city, a man whose entire face and body were covered in a cloak had seen the spell as well.

 _That was [Fallen Down]! Is someone in this world really capable of using a spell like that? Could it be another Player? Oh, shit I just realized that was the forest I made my underground home in._

* * *

Avenir and her team raced across the plains. She was surprised that the snipers hadn't opened fire again. Maybe they had just assumed that they were dead? However, these hopes were immediately dashed as a calm yet commanding voice called out to them.

"I apologize for interrupting your peaceful walk through the forest," the tall sorcerer said. "But I believe we have unfinished business." Avenir and her comrades spun around to find themselves under the gaze of the soulless red eyes of the man who was responsible for all this. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said as he placed a hand over where his heart would've been if he actually had one. "My name is Lucifer Dracul. It is a pleasure to meet you esteemed members of the Black Scripture." At Lucifer's sides stood Albedo and Shalltear. "I believe you are already familiar with my daughter," he said as gestured to Shalltear who smiled brilliantly. She knew that her father was still angry with her, but she felt elated to hear him genuinely refer to her as one of his children of the night. The Black Scripture members immediately took up defensive positions. Lucifer's eyes swept over each of the humans. Each of them, except for Avenir, who held her sword in shaking hands, was a minor threat, but a threat nonetheless. She was skilled in intelligence gathering and spying through magic. Not combat. She was still capable of swordsmanship that would be considered impressive by this world's standards, but even as Momon he would be able to defeat her. Isabella looked as if being in the very presence of vampires and a succubus was offensive, Beaumarchais and Gregor were on their guard, and Avenir, who was the smartest of the group, was absolutely terrified. Avenir completely understood they had no chance against him.

"What do you want?" Gregor demanded.

"To save the world," Lucifer said with a shrug.

"Then why won't you work for the Theocracy?" Beaumarchais asked in confusion.

"I said the world, not just humanity," Lucifer said with a smirk. "Your Six Gods were human centric fools when I knew them and it seems that their insanity has been passed on to their followers. Humans, elves, and all other creatures that walk this earth dead or alive are equally inferior. They need a firm hand to guide them through the ages in order to avoid the stupidity of mortals. You humans telling yourself that you are above the rest of is nothing short of laughable. I, on the other hand, am beyond your comprehension." Avenir's eyes widened as she realized what this man was saying. Isabella, however, was infuriated by what he was saying.

"Blasphemer! How dare you look down on humanity, monster! You have raised your hand against the Slane Theocracy's Black Scripture, Lucifer Dracul, and by extension, humanity itself!" Isabella declared. Clearly she was a zealot so Lucifer ignored her ranting.

"I will not claim to be an all-loving saint but I am known to be a reasonable man. I will extend to you this one chance. Lay down your weapons and I will spare your lives."

"We will end your corruption of this world here and now! For the Slane Theocracy!" Isabella yelled.

"For the Theocracy!" Gregor and Beaumarchais shouted.

A sword clattered to the ground.

Everyone turned to see Avenir had dropped her weapon and had started bowing to Lucifer.

"You filthy traitor! You fucking whore!" Isabella screeched. Gregor was more composed than the religious extremist.

"Why?" he asked. He didn't get a comprehensible answer out of Avenir. All he heard was her muttering things like "It's hopeless" or "I can't".

"At least one of you isn't a complete waste of genetic material," Lucifer said with a chuckle. Isabelle turned her furious gaze back to Lucifer and let out a scream.

"[Divine Chant]!" as those words left her mouth, her scream became a sonic wave towards Lucifer who stumbled back a bit, but wasn't tossed through the air like everyone else Isabelle had ever faced. Gregor and Beaumarchais charged in attempt to strike at Lucifer while he was weakened only to be intercepted by Albedo and Shalltear. Albedo blocked Gregor's sword with her massive axe while Shalltear used her Spuit Lance to knock Beaumarchais's Divine Chain away from her master. Lucifer smirked as he, while still being hit by [Divine Chant], activated a spell that was a higher level version of Shalltear's [Blood Blast].

"[Zebel Blast]!" he laughed as he hurled a massive ball of black energy at Isabella, who narrowly dodged the resulting explosion. Beaumarchais whipped his chain at Shalltear who dodged it before grabbing it with her bare hand. She hissed in pain as its holy properties started to burn her but Shalltear endured and swung Beaumarchais around from his own chain before swinging downward causing him to slam into the ground and breaking his legs.

"Fool. You thought you could strike against the Supreme Being and get away with it?" Albedo asked mockingly as she once again blocked one of Gregor's strikes. Gregor, however, grinned at Albedo as she blocked his strike and thrust forward with handle which let him smack Albedo across the face the blade's handle. Needless to say, Albedo went full on berserk mode after that. Gregor howled in pain as his hands were removed, not by Albedo cutting them off, but by pulling his arms out of his sockets.

"[Arrow of Divinity]!" Isabella yelled as beam of light struck the side of Lucifer's face extracting a roar of pain from the seemingly invincible monster.

"FATHER!" Shalltear screamed as everyone stared at Lucifer. The right side of his face was missing. Isabella thought that they had won win she noticed something: there was no blood. Instead it looked as if hell was seeping out through the wound. Lucifer started laughing sinisterly as the hell that leaked regenerated into his previously destroyed features.

 **"Weakling. I told you that I was beyond your comprehension,"** came a terrifying voice as Lucifer smirked.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Isabella screamed, refusing to believe what she just witnessed. "[Arrow of Divinity]! [Arrow of Divinity]! [Arrow of Divinity]!" she attacked again and again but Lucifer wasn't playing games anymore.

"[Stop Time]," he said. Through Isabella's eyes, it looked like one moment he had been standing before her and the next moment he was in front of her with his hand around her throat. She tried to use [Divine Chant] again so she could blow his grinning face off, but the lack of oxygen she was experiencing made it so she couldn't speak. Quicker than he had with Clementine, Lucifer pulled her close, reached around her back, and severed her spinal cord before dropping her to the ground, screaming in pain. "I want to kill you in a way that will send a message to the other fools in the Slane Theocracy. [Impalers Dream]!" With the spell activated, three long spears shot out of the ground from under Isabella, Gregor, and Beaumarchais impaling them and putting their corpses on display. Lucifer grinned as he watched the blood rain down from their bodies before turning back to Avenir.

She was crying.

Lucifer sighed. When he gave them the opportunity to surrender, he hadn't expected any of them to actually take him up on that offer. So the question was: What to do with her?

* * *

Ruvik and the others were catching their breath down in the tunnels. Now that he had a chance to think about what happened, it was foolish not to surrender. Ruvik didn't really about the Theocracy, but it was all he had ever known and he had nowhere else to go. He has been taken away from his mother, who couldn't even remember, when he was a child because he was a God-Kin and was raised by the church. If an enemy this powerful had set their sights one the Theocracy, they would need to use the treasures left behind by the Six Great Gods to even stand a chance. When they heard footsteps approaching from the area they had just come from, everyone took a battle stance, prepared for the worst. Thankfully, the person who came running towards them had a familiar face… mask.

"Wralk!" Ruvik shouted. "Thank the Six you made it." Ruvik suddenly narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong. Wralk was still running towards them but it wasn't until the last minute that Ruvik noticed the knife in his hand. Wralk jumped forward and stabbed Oras in the neck before he could use [Stop Time]. As Oras choked on his own blood, Wralk transformed into some sort of creature in a strange military uniform with a face that didn't even qualify as a face.

"Hallo Toten Menschen," Pandora's Actor said dramatically in a language Ruvik had never heard before. Kuaiesse pointed his fist towards the enemy and shouted.

"Go forth basilisk!" and a large snake-like creature emerged from the ring hissing at their faceless opponent. If Pandora's Actor had been a lower level NPC he would've turned to stone. Realizing its opponent was tougher than it looked, the basilisk lunged forward in an attempt to eat him. Pandora's Actor responded by spinning around like a fucking ballerina and, when it got too close, he used the momentum from spinning to deliver a devastating kick to the face.

"Nice try, Schlange," he said dramatically. Garuna furrowed her eyebrows opened her purse and unleashed two Dominion Authorities.

"Go forth angels!" she cried. The angels approached Pandora's Actor who threw a smoke bomb, obscuring their vision, and threw the knife he had used to kill Oras, which struck Kuaiesse in the shoulder. After twenty seconds of coughing the smoke cleared and they found three Dominion Authorities fighting each other. It seemed people wasn't the only thing the creature could turn into.

"We can't deal with a trickster like this! Fall back!" Ruvik yelled as he pulled Oras's body over his shoulders. With that, the remainder of the Black Scripture disappeared into the tunnels.

* * *

"What shall I do with you?" Lucifer muttered as he looked down on Avenir, who was still crying. "You know I can't just let you go, right?" She nodded.

"Can I ask you something?" she sniffed. Lucifer raised an eyebrow.

"You may."

"Can you please spare Ruvik?"

"Oh? And why would do that?" Lucifer asked he leaned over her and tilted her head up to make her look him in the eyes. After looking into her eyes with own that seemed to suck out everything that was good in the world for a few moments, Lucifer grinned sinisterly. "Ah, love. You know, they say true love lasts eternity so I will have to ask for something of equal value."

"Anything!" she cried with her eyes full of determination. She had finally stopped crying.

"I want an eternity of servitude from you," Lucifer demanded with a full blown psychotic grin as he outstretched his hand and waited for her response. Avenir shivered under the monster's gaze before she firmly shook his hand.

"I will obey, my lord," she said.

* * *

The hooded figure gazed upon the barren wasteland that had once been a forest.

 _Who the hell used [Fallen Down]!? I had just finished those tunnels!_

The hooded figure sighed and decided to start heading east.

"Momonga, I hope that it wasn't you."

* * *

 **Has anyone seen what the Black Scripture members look like on the Overlord Wiki? One of them actually does wear a school uniform! I fell asleep at my computer typing this one last night.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	17. The Fire Rises

Chapter 16: The Fire Rises

 **THIS IS THE BIGGEST FUCKING CHAPTER I'VE MADE YET 5K WORDS GODDAMMIT THIS TOOK FOREVER BUT I'M HAPPY**

* * *

Lucifer woke up in his own, comfortable and simply remained laying down as he thought about the events of yesterday. The Black Scripture had suffered the heaviest losses it ever had on a single mission. Although some of them had managed to escape with a few of those who had died, it had been a catastrophic loss to them. Ruvik would no doubt revive those whose bodies he had managed to bring with him, but it would take time to bring them back up to full strength.

This was good new but it was also came with its own set of problems. They didn't have the luxury of time anymore.

With the Black Scripture and Kaire's [Downfall of Castle and Country] out of commission, Nazarick had to press the advantage and could take more public action while they had the chance. The Theocracy was bound to counterattack the moment they finished licking their wounds so from here on out Lucifer would have to rush to complete his preparations before the Theocracy recovered. The sooner he founded his country, the sooner he could take real action against his hated enemy and bring an end to the age of stupidity humanity had seemingly brought on upon this world. He sighed as he went over his to do list. Cocytus would invade the Lizardmen Tribes, Avenir had been turned into a vampire and would begin her training under Shalltear, whose sex toys had been confiscated as punishment for yesterday's events, that formal party Gazef had invited him to was today, he had to meet with Fluder Paradyne to trick the Empire into attacking Nazarick, Momon was supposed to be following a lead on Jaldabaoth, and Operation: Hellfire was scheduled to commence in five days.

 _I have a lot to do and the sooner I get it done the better._

Lucifer was snapped out of his thoughts as he felt something wet travel across his chest. He looked down and, sure enough, there was a sleeping Albedo on top of him….. and she was drooling….. lovely.

 _I am NOT dealing with right now!_

With that thought, Lucifer teleported out from under her and got dressed for the day.

 _Soon we'll be able to stop hiding._

* * *

"This is an outrage!" the Cardinal of Light yelled after hearing from Ruvik and the remnants of the Black Scripture.

"I assure you your holiness, events transpired exactly as I have told you," Ruvik said from his kneeling position. His eyes were those of a broken man. He had seen his friends killed and the true power of an evil god-like….. no, not a god-like. A true, evil god. After hours of running through the tunnels, they had found an exit near the borders of the Baharuth Empire. After that, he and his remaining comrades had charged through Katze Plains with Ruvik, Zur, Kuaiesse, and Garuna clearing out the undead while Mori brought up the rear carrying an unconscious Kaire, not to mention the corpses of Oras and Cedran. In one arm while wielding a war axe twice his size in his other hand. They didn't call him the Strongest Human for nothing.

"Captain Ruvik," the Cardinal of Fire spoke up. "Are you certain your description of the man who used that powerful spell was accurate?"

"Yes your holiness," Ruvik replied. The cardinals muttered amongst themselves for a few moments before turning to look at the remnants of Black Scripture again.

"Based off your report, the man who attacked your team was Lucifer Dracul," the Cardinal of Darkness reported. "His presence was revealed to us approximately two months ago. He is responsible for Sunlight Scripture's destruction and Nigun's resignation."

"Your holiness, what happened to the other members of Black Scripture?" Ruvik asked, hoping that at least Avenir was alive. "We have heard nothing." The cardinals glanced at each other before looking back at Ruvik with sympathetic looks.

"I'm sorry Ruvik," the Cardinal of Wind said. "We found the bodies of Isabella, Gregor, and Beaumarchais were found on display for the world to see. We have had no word as to whether or not Wralk and Avenir are alive." Ruvik's heart sank. He didn't really know Wralk, nobody actually had do to his inability to speak, but Avenir, he just couldn't stand not knowing what happened to her! Was she alive but injured? Was she dead? Was she taken prisoner? His thoughts were interrupted by the Cardinal of Darkness.

"One thing we have learned from Ruvik's report is that Lucifer has more resources than we had originally believed. It appears that he is in charge of, or at least a key figure, of an organization that includes inhuman scum such as succubi, vampires, and doppelgangers. Not only does he have powerful subordinates, but to have been able to respond so quickly after the Black Scripture encountered the vampire he must have an extensive network of spies," the Cardinal of Darkness said as he adjust his round spectacles.

"What is the Re-Estize Kingdom's response to what happened last night?" the Cardinal of Water asked.

"They believe the incident has been resolved by an Adamantite ranked adventurer they call the Dark Knight, Momon," the Cardinal of Fire reported.

"I've never heard of this Momon," the Cardinal of Light scoffed.

"That's because he was only a Copper ranked adventurer earlier this week," the Cardinal of Fire said. Everyone in the room went silent.

"Impossible!"

"To jump through the ranks that fast is unheard of!"

"We must get him on our side!"

"Impressive."

"It seems that he is the one who took care of the undead army that attacked E-Rantel and there are unconfirmed reports that Zuranon was involved," the Cardinal of Darkness informed everyone.

"Could he be involved with Lucifer?" the Cardinal of Wind asked.

"Unlikely," the Cardinal of Fire rebuked. "From what my sources have uncovered, he was sent out by an unknown organization to hunt a vampire named Valeda Tepes and a demon known only as Jaldabaoth. His swords are imbued with the 7th-Tier spell [Holy Smite]. It seems everything he has is made with the intention of killing unholy creatures."

"7th-Tier magic! Those swords should belong to the Theocracy not some mercenary!" the Cardinal of Light shouted indignantly.

"Perhaps we could recruit him to the Black Scripture," the Cardinal of Darkness murmured quietly.

"For the time being we shouldn't inform the Re-Estize Kingdom what happened last night," the Cardinal of Darkness declared. "If word got out that we were beaten by a magic caster nobody has even heard of we would look weak." The other cardinals nodded their heads.

Ruvik frowned. His friends had died last night and the cardinals were going to pretend it never happened! They should be calling for the head of the man who did this not sweeping the incident under the rug! Nobody saw it, but Zur grinned wryly and if anyone could read his thoughts they would hear:

 _Typical._

"We have gotten off topic," the Cardinal of Darkness spoke up. "Lucifer Dracul is the purpose of this meeting!"

"The question we are faced with is as follows: Is he specifically targeting the Theocracy an act of vengeance for our involvement in Carne Village, or was this something else entirely?" the Cardinal of Earth asked.

"It doesn't matter!" a new voice interrupted. Everyone turned to see the ruler of the Theocracy himself entered the room. Pontifex Maximus, the elected Archbishop of the Slane Theocracy. He was and wrinkled old man in elegant white and gold robes that bore the insignia of the Slane Theocracy. Everyone in the room, even the cardinals, bowed before him. "Rise. Now then, the situation with this mad magic caster has grown out of hand. Is there anything substantial we know about him? Who he is or where he came from? Is he even human?" Zur kept his mouth shut about how he knew that Lucifer was a vampire.

"I apologize Archbishop," said the Cardinal of Light. "But after searching through our records and sending spies to E-Rantel, we still have no viable information about Lucifer Dracul. Maximus let out a discontented sigh.

"With the Black Scripture temporarily out of commission and the Theocracy weakened as a whole, we need to send someone else to gather intelligence on this infidel. We also need to have full deniability should they get caught. Any suggestions?" Maximus asked.

"I think I have exactly who we're looking for," the Cardinal of Darkness said with a smirk. He snapped his fingers and, as if on cue, a figure in dark clothing emerged from the shadows.

"Who is this?" Maximus asked, genuinely curious.

"This is my trusted agent, Corvo Attano. I believe you all remember Nigun's account of what he's capable of," the Cardinal of Darkness said as Corvo gave a polite bow. "Ruvik, I would like you to meet the newest member of the Black Scripture." Ruvik's eyes immediately began scanning the man before him. He certainly looked like he was no stranger to danger and there was look in his eyes that told Ruvik that this man wouldn't feel a thing when he killed someone. Still, there was something off about him. "Sir Attano here is relatively unknown to people of the Kingdom and the Empire. He can infiltrate the Re-Estize Kingdom and dig up any information on Lucifer Dracul and/or Momon without anyone knowing who he is or where he is from." Maximus nodded as the Cardinal of Darkness finished speaking.

"We should also put up a bounty for any information commoners might have," the Cardinal of Light suggested. Maximus nodded in response to cardinal's suggestion but he was more focused on Corvo.

"Can you see this assignment through, Sir Attano?"

"Yes, Archbishop," Covro said with a nod.

"Very well, see to it Sir Attano."

* * *

Location: Capitol City of the Baharuth Empire, Arwintar

Momon, the newly appointed Adamantite ranked adventurer, strolled down the streets of Arwintar with Nabe at his side. Every time they passed by someone who came too close to Momon, Nabe would mutter something offensive that Momon would ignore.

"Filthy worm."

"Inferior being."

"How dare you stand in the Supreme One's path?"

 _One of these days you're going to end up pissing off someone I want on my side and I'm beat the hell out of you._

They ducked into a narrow alleyway and waited until the coast was clear.

"My lord, might I ask why we're doing this?" Nabe asked. Momon sighed before answering her.

"While we were killing off some of the Black Scripture members, Fluder Paradyne, the Imperial Court Wizard, attempted to use observation magic to find Nazarick. He would've succeeded if it wasn't for the [Anti-Intelligence Magic Wall] we placed. However, it was the method he used to search for us and not his search for us itself that has led to our discovery. His method was to systematically search all of the area surrounding Carne Village and once he finally got around to the Great Forest of Tob, his spell backfired. He doesn't have our exact location but he knows where to look. Since he's in charge of the Empire's handling of matters concerning magic and magic casters, he will be a useful pawn when it comes to securing the Empire's assistance in founding our own empire."

"I see, your insight is impeccable my lord," Nabe said as the last few humans walked by. "The coast is clear my lord."

"Thank you, Nabe. [Greater Teleportation]!" Lucifer said as he disappeared from the alleyway. Nabe double-checked to make sure no one was watching before she teleported away as well.

* * *

Fluder Paradyne had just returned from the Imperial Magic Academy after once again failing to control the Death Knight they had locked up. The moment he entered his residence one of his servants ran up to him.

"Master Paradyne! There is a strange man is your study! We don't know how he got in!" the servant exclaimed. Fluder's eyes immediately narrowed and he raced upstairs with a speed that didn't fit his age. He was 268 years old after all. He burst into his study expecting an assailant or a thief, but instead he found a tall man in black wearing a red cloak leaning back on his couch and sipping something red out of a stone goblet covered in skull designs. He looked up towards Fluder with caring steel gray eyes and gave him a pleasant smile.

"Fluder Paradyne, please take a seat. We have much to discuss," he said calmly. Fluder stared at the strange man for a few moments before he looked back at the servants who were peaking in through gap in the door.

"Leave us. This is a private matter," Fluder said, deciding that this man wasn't going to attack him. The moment the servants left, the man's pleasant smile and caring gray eyes turned into a cold smile and soulless red eyes. Fluder was alarmed by the revelation that the man in his study was a vampire but decided not to make any sudden moves. He tried to use his ability to discern the man's magical power but it was as if something was blocking it.

"Now that they're out of the way, let's get right down to business," the man said. "My name is Lucifer Dracul," Lucifer said as he took a ring off his finger. The moment he did, whatever was blocking Fluder's ability ceased to exist and he saw the red eyed man's true magical power. To Fluder, it was as if the planet had been engulfed in a divine cleansing light. Tears of joy fell down Fluder's face as gazed upon this great sorcerer, this god. For the past 246 years he had forged his own path on his journey to gaze into the abyss of magic. He was never anyone to teach him, he was forced to teach himself everything. There had never been anyone for him to look up to until now. For years Fluder had so many questions about magic, the experience he lacked, and the advanced magical arts. The one who held all the answers had appeared before him. With shaking knees, Fluder Paradyne, the most powerful magic caster in recorded history, kneeled before Lucifer Dracul.

"My faith lies in the god that rules and presides over magic. But if you are not that exalted being, then I shall immediately recant my faith, for the one true god has finally appeared before me!" Fluder proclaimed. Lucifer grinned. "Please great Lucifer Dracul, God of Magic, I beg of you, please bestow your great wisdom unto me!"

 _A little over the top but Avenir's opinion of Fluder was correct. Now for what I came here for._

"I shall agree to teach you magic if you do something for me," Lucifer said.

"ANYTHING!" Fluder practically screamed.

"I need you to organize something for me…"

* * *

Jigsaw wiped the grease off his mask as he finally finished building the last of the 500 Clockwork Soldiers he had been ordered to create.

"Lord Dracul will be so pleased. I really must thank Lady Fiore for finding that steel mine. Perhaps I should make a Chimera for the lass?" he said to himself. "Only thing left to do is finish the [Total Maniac Bombs]." Then a woman's started screaming behind him. He turned around to look at Clementine who was strapped to operating table.

Her arms and legs had amputated because they were "of inferior design" making her a quadruple amputee. Parts of her skin had been removed and replaced with skin from other creatures that had been stitched into her own. The skin around her left eye had been removed and replaced with skin from a pale green creature. The eye there had been taken out and replaced with a large sickly yellow eye that didn't quite fit, but that problem was easily solved by sanding away at the skull and removing the eyelid.

"GIVE ME BACK MY LEGS YOU FREAK!" Clementine screamed.

"I can't do that right now dearie I gave them to my good friend Entoma," Jigsaw said as he raised his hands. "I promise as soon as she has finished digesting them I will go retrieve them. That is if Ms. Yuri Alpha allows me into the women's lavoratory. But I would think you would knew and improved limbs then you'll be just like me!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Clementine screeched.

"No seriously just look at me!" Jigsaw said as he removed his Plague Doctor mask. Upon seeing his face, Clementine started to scream in pure horror. "That's just rude."

* * *

Gazef let out a sigh. He had only been at this party for an hour and he already wanted to leave. The nobles had gathered in the Great Hall of the Re-Estize Grand Palace. Everywhere he looked he saw elitists and bootlickers dressed up in their finest and pretending that the Kingdom's situation wasn't deteriorating as they spent so much on superfluous fancies. As much as he wanted to leave, he had a duty to protect his king. That meant sticking around nobles who hated him for being a commoner who had been given authority just because he was talented instead of being born to a wealthy family who could buy whatever authority they wanted.

"You look like your contemplating suicide, Gazef," a familiar voice came from behind. Gazef spun around with a grin on his face. He had the feeling this party was about to get a lot less painful.

"Lucifer," Gazef said in a good mood for the first time that day as he shook the man's hand. "I was worried you wouldn't make it."

"I couldn't let my friend suffer through this alone, could I?" Lucifer joked with a charismatic smile full of false charm. Several of the nobles looked at them and either scoffed at them, raised an eyebrow, or gave a small smile to see Gazef wasn't hated by everyone.

"Come on, there's someone here who wants to meet you," Gazef said as they walked to a particular group of people. Lucifer recognized them from intelligence reports he had gathered from Sebas. King Ramposa III was an older man who needed a cane in order to walk, Marquis Raeven was a man who reminded Lucifer of a snake, he had plans for him later. The king's oldest son Prince Barbro looked every bit an impressive prince , Prince Zanac was dressed in fine clothes like his brother but he was short and fat, and, the one that actually caught his attention, Princess Renner.

"Your highness," Gazef said. "This is the man who saved me back in Carne Village, Lucifer Dracul." The old man's eyes widened for a moment before he held out his hand.

"Gazef told me about your heroics that day," the king said. "I am pleased to have the chance to meet a powerful magic caster like yourself." Lucifer grinned as he shook his hand attracting the attention of some nearby nobles.

"I was just doing what any rational human being would've done," Lucifer lied. Barbro was scowling at him.

"Filthy commoner," he muttered and looked like Zanac felt the same. Lucifer would've been surprised how differently they had turned out despite their father's good example if he hadn't already been briefed on them.

"I would offer you a place among the nobility but the noble faction is antsy enough as it is," the king apologized.

"Do not worry about it. I would've turned down the offer anyway," Lucifer shrugged.

"You would deny a great generosity from the king?" Barbro demanded angrily. Lucifer gave him an uncaring stare.

"If it conflicted with my own interests, yes," Lucifer stated honestly. Barbro and Zanac scowled while Raeven raised an eyebrow. Renner just continued to smile at everything.

"He is the king…." Zanac began.

"A king is a human. I am a human. There is no difference between us," Lucifer lied coldly. Gazef stiffened as he awaited the king's response and several nobles started scowling at Lucifer, who shot them an evil grin when neither the king nor Gazef were looking. Then the king started laughing.

"I wish there were more people who thought like you, Lucifer Dracul!" the king laughed. Lucifer gave a genuine smile. "All of humanity needs to work together if want to rid the world of creatures like that vampire who appeared near E-Rantel!" the smile was no longer genuine. Zanac and Barbro had left in a huff seeing their father give such praise to a commoner. Raeven gave a curt nod of respect and walked away. Renner curtsied before Lucifer when he turned his attention to her.

"So you are the "Golden Princess" I've heard so much about?" Lucifer inquired.

"Yes sir, Mr. Dracul, that's me," she said innocently. Lucifer recognized that face she was making however. It was the same face he made when he pretended to be friendly with someone he thought wasn't worth his time.

"Isn't Climb supposed to be here?" Gazef asked. Renner tilted her head.

"He's cleaning up. He got back a few hours ago after running round with Brain Unglaus and an old man he looks up to named Sebas," she responded. Lucifer mentally frowned. He hadn't received any reports from Sebas or Solution today, so what was going on?

"Do you take acting classes?" Lucifer asked. Renner's eyes momentarily widened as she understood what he was getting at.

"No. Do you?" she asked pleasantly. Lucifer gave a fake smile as a silent agreement was reached between the two of them: You keep your mouth shut and I'll keep mine shut.

"Lucifer, you aren't flirting with my daughter, are you?" the king joked.

"No, I'm married," Lucifer lied.

"Your wife wouldn't happen to be Albedo would it?" Gazef asked while elbowing Lucifer and wiggling his eyebrows exaggeratedly.

"How did you know?" Lucifer responded, pouncing on the convenient lie.

* * *

Albedo was overseeing resource extraction. Hundreds of low level Skeletons were being used as undead workers. They were bringing in carts filled with tons of steel they had excavated from the mine and lumber they had cut from the Great Forest of Tob. Additionally, Bone Vultures that had been sent as scouts had found even more mines filled with iron, platinum, gold, and even adamantite. Of course sometimes the mine wasn't abandoned and they had to kill all the workers, but the corpses became additional soldiers so if anything they would consider it luck. All or these resources we being compiled in Nazarick for the time being for certain future projects.

As the Bone Vultures were reporting the location of a new mine they found, Albedo suddenly stiffened up.

"I don't know why, but I suddenly feel like I just missed something I would've loved," Albedo muttered.

* * *

 _I don't know why but I'm suddenly glad Albedo isn't here._

Lucifer gave a polite wave as the king and his daughter walked off. As he and Gazef went to go get drinks they were halted by large brute of a man: Marquis Bowlrob. He looked down at Lucifer, not physically of course, and glared at him. He was on older man, but his scars told the story of a warrior.

"So you're that magic caster, huh?" he growled. "You don't look half as strong as Gazef says."

"I apologize, but we really must be going, Marquis," Gazef said, trying to defuse the situation as the other nobles snickered. Lucifer raised his hand, signaling Gazef to stop.

"If you think you're so strong than how about I make a little wager with you," Lucifer said with a smirk. Bowlrob raised an eyebrow as the nobles who snickering shut up and glared. "I'm going to let you punch me ten times. If you manage to knock me back, I'll leave. If you fail I'm going to throw out the window." Most of the nobles were practically hissing at the commoner for being so daring. Bowlrob actually smirked.

"You're on, mage!" he exclaimed as he threw a punch into Lucifer's gut. He didn't budge.

"I'm sorry, was that a punch or are you asking me to plow your sister?" Lucifer mocked, intentionally angering Bowlrob and the other nobles. Bowlrob responded by throwing nine more punches at Lucifer, all in vain. "Too bad," Lucifer said as he grabbed Bowlrob and dragged him over to the window. No one made a move to stop him. Lucifer opened the window and looked around for a good landing spot for the struggling marquis. Selecting a pile of manure near the stables, he tossed Bowlrob who fell e few feet before submerging into the slop. Lucifer, Gazef, the king, and even some of the other nobles started laughing. On the other hand, many of the nobles looked downright murderous so Gazef and Lucifer decided to leave.

"That was the best party I've ever attended!" Gazef roared in between laughs.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show," Lucifer chuckled

before receiving a [Message] from Demiurge.

[My lord, a situation has emerged.]

[What happened?]

[I have received disturbing reports from Solution. I fear Sebas might've betrayed us.] Lucifer's eyes momentarily widened when he heard those words.

[I'll meet you at manor Sebas and Solution have been using.]

[Yes my lord]

"Gazef, I'm sorry but there's something I have to attend to back home. Take care of yourself," Lucifer said hurriedly. Gazef could see he was in a hurry so he let him go.

"You too Lucifer!"

* * *

Zur walked the streets of Humanika in the dead of night. No one was around to bother him. He passed a street corner where, when he wasn't off with the Black Scripture on a mission, he would use his magic to entertain children who would marvel at the simplest of spells. These were the same brats who would throw rocks at elves as they passed by in slave wagons. Race, religion, nobility, none of it mattered in the end.

 _Rats. Everyone in this city is a rat. Those cardinals are blind to what's happening and the Archbishop is a fool stuck in his ways._

There was a reason Zur never told anyone his age. It's not like people would believe him if he claimed to not only be alive during the time of the Thirteen Heroes, but they would outright laugh at him if he told them that he fought by their side against the Evil Deities. Of course, no one would recognize his name. Hell, Zur was his actual name and people still didn't make the connection. Then again, nobody had ever connected his old friend Evileye to the vampire Landfall. That was why he hated the Theocracy. People like he and Landfall had risked everything to save innocents, but they were the truth that the Theocracy and the rest of the humans didn't want fitting into the history books. Landfall had accepted it as the way the world is and moved on to become an adventurer. Zur did not move on. He did not accept the "natural order of things" as Evileye had called it and chose a different path.

He chose revenge. He had chosen to destroy that so-called "natural order". If his thought process was wrong then he didn't want to be right. He wanted the Slane Theocracy and everything it stood for to be torn apart and forgotten.

Becoming a member of the Black Scripture had just been a way to gain access to information and it had finally paid off. It was almost exactly like last time. Powerful people were appearing, the balance of power was shifting, and finally the cause had been revealed: Lucifer Dracul. He was different than the others that had arrived before him. The Six Gods had picked humanity as their favorite and killed anything that put so much as a finger on them, the Eight Greed Kings immediately started destroying everything, and the two who had been his comrades in the Thirteen Heroes had been cleaning up after the Evil Deities. They had all either picked a side or chose to wipe out everything. Lucifer had done something entirely different. He hadn't picked a side or made himself publicly known yet and very few people even knew his name. He was playing puppet master from the shadows, he was planning something, and he served only one side: his own.

 _He may be the one who tears the natural order to shreds. Anyone with half a brain can feel it. Something big is coming and I know whose side I'm going to be on. The organization I've spent the past two centuries building will be at Lucifer's command and under his leadership we will finally achieve our dream to destroy the natural order ushering in a new order and the end of an era._

Zur finally arrived at his destination: a stone wall in a dark alley. He reached out and lightly touched the wall with his pointer finger.

"New Order," he said in a solemn tone. The wall turned translucent revealing an underground passage which he started walking down as the wall solidified once more. As he headed deeper in, he dispelled the illusion magic that gave him his false face. As the wrinkled, unhappy face of Zur melted away, his true face was revealed. No skin, no meat. Just bone. Two small, flickering red lights danced in his empty eye sockets (his face basically looks like Ainz from the anime).

He was an Overlord.

As he headed deeper in he was greeted by men in hooded robes dyed red.

"Welcome back Grandmaster Zur," one of them greeted with a bow. He finally entered the main hall which was a dark, torch lit room with numerous people in red robes and intelligent undead creatures such as liches who stood to the sides of the room. In the middle of the room was a table that had thirteen seats around it. Twelve men in purple robes stood when Zur walked in, these were the Twelve Executives. Only when Zur took his seat at the head of the table were the Executives allowed to sit.

"The 478th Council of Zuranon will come to order," Zur declared. "My brothers and sisters of death, I have news of the utmost importance. The day I promised you when I founded Zuranon almost 200 years ago is drawing near." His fleshless face seemed to smile.

"So, you have found an entity that can really remake this world?" one of the Executives spoke up in an excited voice.

"Yes. Our Antichrist is almost here."

* * *

 **Zuranon's goal is never really made clear in the LN so I thought I'd do this. Have you seen what the 3rd Seat of the Black Scripture really looks like? He doesn't look holy at all. Also can someone tell me what an SB is? I got a comment about it and I have no idea what it means.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	18. Operation Hellfire Begins

Chapter 17: Operation Hellfire Begins

Lucifer Dracul sat on a throne Demiurge had brought with him at the end or the room. He would've brought Cocytus but he was still battling the Lizardmen. In his hand was the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.

 _I really need to think about renaming this damn thing. Ainz Ooal Gown is nothing but a memory now._

On Lucifer's left was Albedo, Demiurge was at the side of the room between the door and the throne, Victim was at his right, and on the side of the room opposite Demiurge was the aspiring vampire Avenir, who he taken with him to give her some real experience as to how things worked under his rule in Nazarick. Like Nigun, her eyes had turned red and her skin became pale. However, she kept hurting herself whenever she tried to pray to the Six Gods out of habit. Apparently it was frowned upon to have an unholy creature pray to a holy entity. When she had asked him what she should pray to he had responded with:

"Pray to me. I am your god now." He had said to that further intimidate her, but she had actually started praying to him in earnest. Apparently, she found it more satisfying then praying to the Six Gods, but that could be because of her new undead nature.

 _Well, I guess it's better for them to worship someone who actually answers back. Not to mention exists. I could really stamp out religious extremism and other examples of people taking it too far if people started seeing me as, not just their ruler, but their god._

He had employed her to run constant surveillance over his agents, such as Corvo and Sebas, in order to make sure they were safe. She kept sneaking in peaks at Ruvik however. He had been informed by Demiurge and Solution what had transpired with some former sex slave named Tsuare. It was because of Avenir that they knew more details about what Sebas had been doing these past few hours. Based off the combination of the evidence they had acquired, it didn't look like Sebas betrayed Lucifer, but it was still best to air on the side of caution. The door he was facing slowly began to creak open as Solution opened the door allowing Sebas to enter the room with his head down as he approached Lucifer.

"That's close enough," Demiurge said curtly. Sebas stopped and looked up to his master in fear. Lucifer internally cringed. If there was one thing he legitimately cared about, it was Nazarick's NPCs.

 _Their creators who abandoned us all in the end, damn traitors, can go rot._

"I am sorry my lord," Sebas spoke up. "I have no excuse for my late arrival."

"I hadn't told you that I was coming so it is not a concern," Lucifer said dismissively. Sebas seemed to relax slightly at this statement. "Now Sebas, I believe you have picked up a human girl. Why did you not report its existence to me?" Sebas gulped and started sweating profusely. Lucifer rolled his eyes. Sure, he cared about the NPCs but he also wanted this done in a hurry. "Avenir, would please give Sebas a handkerchief?" Avenir nodded and trotted over to Sebas who, after raising an eyebrow as if noticing something familiar about her, accepted the handkerchief she was offering.

"Thank you, Ms. Avenir," Sebas said with slight bow. Avenir smiled before walking back over to her original position. "I apologize for showing you my unbecoming side, my lord," Sebas said in his usual manner.

"I'll ask again Sebas. Why is this the first I've heard of this human girl?" Lucifer cut to the point. "Did you intentionally go against my orders?"

"No! My deepest apologies Lord Dracul. It was foolish of me to think it wasn't important enough to tell you," Sebas declared. No one made a sound.

"So you're saying it was an oversight on your part?" Lucifer asked calmly.

"Yes my lord. I am deeply sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you," Sebas said as he kneeled. Lucifer turned his head to Solution, who had remained at the door.

"Bring me the girl," he ordered. Not even a minute later, Tsuare entered the room with shaking knees as she stared fearfully at the monsters around her. "You didn't try to flee despite the fact you are surrounded by monsters. I'm impressed human."

"Kneel huma-" Demiurge started.

"Silence," Lucifer said as he stood up from the throne. He walked towards Tsuare and Sebas. He stopped a little more than one foot away from them. "My name is Lucifer Dracul, Sebas' master."

"I-i-i," was all Tsuare was able to choke out.

"You don't need to say anything," Lucifer said in a calming manner. "Sebas!" Sebas stiffened as his name was sharply called. "Because of this woman, you allowed this situation with the Eight Fingers to emerge. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Then kill her." Sebas winced as he received that order. Slowly Sebas straightened up and raised a fist. Tsuare simply closed her eyes in acceptance. The moment Sebas threw a punch that would take her head clean off her shoulders, he felt someone intercept his punch. Lucifer had reached forward and grabbed him by the arm.

"My lord?" Sebas was, understandably, confused.

"Stand down Sebas," Lucifer ordered. "That blow definitely would've killed her," Lucifer announced to the rest of his minions. "We will now consider the Trial of Sebas' to be over! I hereby proclaim that Sebas is not guilty of the crime of treason!" once he finished speaking he turned around and stared at Sebas. "Because your mistakes have actually led to some progress I will let you keep Tsuare. Sebas, this woman is your responsibility from now on. Her achievements are you achievements and her failures are your failures. Now both of you get back to Nazarick immediately!"

"Yes my lord!" Sebas exclaimed. "As you command!" with that relieved declaration, Sebas and Tsuare walked through a [Gate] summoned by Lucifer. Under normal circumstances, he would've dragged everyone back to Nazarick to sort this mess out and decide what Tsuare's fate would be. However, with the Eight Fingers still running amok with knowledge of Sebas' it was best to remove them from the equation immediately. As for Tsuare, If she really had been a sex slave for half as long as he thought, then she had nowhere to go and it was obvious that she was devoted to Sebas.

 _That girl looked a lot like Ninya. Not really important at the moment, however._

"Demiurge!"

"My lord!"

"We will commence with Operation: Hellfire ahead of schedule in order to cover up what has happened. No loose ends. Avenir, inform Narberal that she is to prepare appropriately!"

"Yes master!" Avenir nodded.

"Yes my lord!" Demiurge smirked evilly. With that, everyone in the building teleported away to prepare for the coming of Jaldabaoth.

* * *

Ainzach had finally finished dealing with those shitty nobles. Once again, they thought that because of their high status they could override guild rules and try to hire adventurers for the coming war with the Empire. After politely reminding them of guild policy to stay out of international affairs and telling them to go fuck themselves, he had sunk into his chair exhausted. It wasn't even sundown yet and he was so tired. Maybe just a quick nap. The moment his eyes began to close, he felt someone grab him from behid and cold steel press against his neck. He was tired anymore.

"Pluton Ainzach?" a cold, distorted voice came. Ainzach couldn't see who it was but he did get a glimpse of a metallic skull-like mask.

"Yes," Ainzach replied unshaken.

"I have some questions for you," it stated.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ainzach said he stared at the blade.

"I need to speak with Momon. I believe he frequents your guild here?"

"Yes, but Momon left E-Rantel and headed towards Re-Estize a few hours ago. He said he was tracking a lead on a demon he's been hunting. You're shit out of luck," Ainzach growled.

"I see. Thank you for your time Ainzach," it said, sounding like it was satisfied with Ainzach's answer. Before Ainzach could say another word, the intruder delivered a quick elbow strike to the back of his head knocking him out instantly. The intruder turned around and jumped out the window and started running across the rooftops. This was all so unnecessary, but he needed to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the Theocracy to follow if they tried to verify his work. After dropping down into an unpopulated part of the area, he removed his mask revealing the face of Corvo Attano and made his way to the inn he was staying at.

* * *

Momon stood on top of Hamsuke, His arms were crossed and his cape was billowing in the wind. He looked every bit a majestic hero. Too bad there was no one around to see him. Why? They were flying. How was Hamsuke flying? Nabe was under him. Momon had decided to make Nabe suffer like this for two reasons. One: He had to be stingy with money until Operation: Hellfire was complete. Two: Nabe was being punished for all the attention she called to them back in Arwintar with her rude comments.

"My lord," Nabe moaned. "How much further"

"Hmm, I'd say another hour. Maybe two," Momon shrugged.

"Sorry for this, I am Lady Nabe. This one is-" Hamsuke started

"Shut up, rat!"

* * *

Climb, a youth in white armor with blonde hair, and Brain Unglaus, an older man with blue hair and a katana. Brain, for the first time since he had met that monster, Shalltear Bloodfallen, was glad to be alive. Shalltear had crushed his hopes and dreams causing him to fall into a pit of despair as he thought that she was a creature humanity couldn't surpass. Then he met that old man, Sebas, who reignited his hope by showing him just how powerful a human could really be. He had formed partnership with Climb and they were currently staking out an Eight Fingers hideout. Assisting them was Lockmyer, an orichalcum ranked rogue.

"From the intelligence we've acquired, the Six Arms are in that building, the top enforcers of the Eight Fingers," Climb said in his usual stern manner, full of concentration. Brain raised an eyebrow.

 _I get being devoted to someone, but the way he's devoted to that princess is borderline obsession. Then again I wasted a good bit of my life running around with bandits so who am I to judge?_

* * *

[My lord, my forces and I are in position.] Momon grinned as he received that message from Demiurge.

[Excellent work Demiurge. Begin Phase One and destroy the targeted areas. Phase Two will commence after we ensure there is suitable witness to our clash.]

[As you decree my lord.]

* * *

There were six Stygi, more commonly referred to as demon dragons, flying towards Re-Estize at frightening speeds. Each Stygius had light gray colored cracked skin. Molten material flowed in between the cracks and large rib shaped spikes grew out from random spots on their bodies at awkward angles. They flew side by side and, as they flew over Re-Esitze, they began breathing fire into the streets bellow. They continued to breathe fire into the paths Demiurge had designated for them: important markets, areas that generally had heavy foot traffic, guard barracks, buildings where food was stored from harvests, places that were frequented by high ranking nobles, and criminal strongholds that belonged to the Eight Fingers. Before anyone even knew what was happening, the infrastructure of Re-Estize was crippled. With their task completed, the Stygi turned around to fly back to Nazarick. But that had only been the first step of the demon blitzkrieg. Already, demons were swarming the Market District and butchering the citizens who lived there while Shadow Demons robbed the markets, shops, and homes of Re-Estize blind.

The people of Re-Estize had no idea that this was only the beginning that would forever be cursed in the history books.

* * *

The adamantite ranked adventurers, Gargan and her teammate Tia, raced through the burning streets of Re-Estize hoping to find survivors. So far they hadn't found any, just corpses. The best way to describe Gargan would "muscleman shaped woman" while Tia was a ninja.

"Anything Tia?" Gargan asked hopefully. Tia simply shook her head.

"No, but these ones weren't killed by fire," she said.

"That's because of the special properties of that comes from a Stygius' fire," a voice interrupted. Gargan and Tia spun around and looked up to see a man in an orange suit wearing a sinister mask was standing on the roof of a burning building. He jumped down and gave an exaggerated, mocking bow. "My name is Jaldabaoth. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, if you would be so kind as to lay down and die like the vermin you are." Gargan an Tia didn't need to be geniuses to figure out that this man, or demon judging by his tail, was involve in what was happening and was clearly hostile. They each took a battle stance and stared at Jaldabaoth, who seemed to be patiently waiting for them. With a war cry, Gargan rushed forward and swung her war pick down at him. Jaldabaoth sidestepped, grabbed the upper part of the handle,, and then brought it back to smack her in the face. As Gargan stumbled back gripping her face with one hand, Tia made several quick strikes with her Vampire Blade from the side. Jaldabaoth dodged every strike with infuriating ease as he simply tilted body in response to her strikes. While he dodge her thrusts, Gargan made another attack which Jaldabaoth dodged and, at the same time, delivered a brutal smack to her side, sending her crashing into a half destroyed building. Tia continued to attack out of desperation and the moment there was a short pause in between her strikes, Jaldabaoth grabbed her by the throat, lifted her up, and started choking her.

"[Acid Javelin]!" a new voice shouted. A pale green spike made of a disgusting liquid struck Jaldabaoth's arm causing him to drop Tia. A small figure joined the fight wearing a black dress, a red hood, and a weird mask.

 _Impressive. Being able to hurt a being such as myself. Still, she is still very weak in comparison._

[My lord, I have found you a suitable witness. I'm sending my location to Narberal.] Jaldabaoth heard his master chuckle before he replied.

[Excellent work, Demiurge, I will be with you shortly.]

"Don't move demon!" the short one yelled. Jaldabaoth turned to her and gave his mockingly polite bow.

"You are an impressive magic caster by human standards. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Jaldabaoth, Demon King of the great demon hordes," he said as he stared at her as if she was a piece of meat.

"Evileye," was all she responded with as she prepared another spell hoping to keep the demon's attention on her and not on Tia who was starting to rise. Unfortunately, Jaldabaoth didn't even regard her as a threat and when he noticed Tia starting to rise, he swiftly pushed her onto her back with his foot and stomped on her neck, crushing her throat and taking away her breathing privileges. "No! [Crystal Lance]!" Evileye cried as light blue spike was hurled as Jaldabaoth. He slowly walked forward until [Crystal Lance] was right in his face, then he smacked it away with ease.

"Wait up, shorty!" Gargan yelled as she burst through a burning wall of the building that she been sent crashing into.

"You're still alive? How delightful. Most humans don't survive a single one of my attacks," Jaldabaoth said politely. Evileye furrowed her eyebrows at the way he completely disregarded them as a threat.

 _He's way more powerful than any of the Evil Deities I fought with the Thirteen Heroes! I might even be on equal footing with the Platinum Dragon Lord!_

"Gargan, run! His power is on a completely different level and we have no chance of beating him!" Evileye exclaimed. Gargan looked like she was going to argue, but Evileye didn't give her the chance. "Once you're at a safe distance I'll teleport away! Now go!" Gargan grimaced and started running away.

"Now, now, that won't do will it? [Dimensional Lock]! [Hellfire Wall]!" Jaldabaoth exclaimed. [Dimensional Lock] prevented teleportation in the immediate area. [Hellfire Wall] on the other hand…..

Evileye felt intense heat from behind her in the direction Gargan had ran. She turned around just in time to see Gargan's charred corpse hit the ground, covered in black flames.

"I merely tried to stop her from leaving but it would appear that she was far weaker than I had surmised. My deepest apologies," Jaldabaoth said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "How unfortunate. Dying from such a weak attack. Clearly you are a cut above from such vermin so why do you surround yourself with those who are weaker then you? It isn't a stupid reason like "We are comrades and our bond makes us strong" is it?" Evileye was absolutely fuming at this point.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY SUCH THINGS!" she roared in pure hatred. Jaldabaoth seemed to smirk at her from under his mask before adding:

"Might makes right."

That was the final straw. Evileye charged at him in a rage while filling her hands with magic power.

"[Maximize Magic: Shard Buck Shots]! [Enhanced Maximize Magic: Crystal Dagger]!" she yelled as a hundred small crystals were launched at Jaldabaoth as a crystal dagger was summoned into her hand.

"[Aspect of the Devil: Archdemon's Wrist]." Jaldabaoth said calmly as his fist grew exponentially and he threw a punch that would turn Evileye into a paste.

"[Translocation Damage]!" she cried as the fist collided with her, sending her flying through the air but, surprisingly, not killing her. "[Enhanced Maximize Magic: Crystal Dagger]!" this time instead of using it as a melee weapon, she created a dagger that was bigger than herself and hurled it at Jaldabaoth who punched it with his overgrown fist, shattering it into a million pieces.

 _Nothing works….. Is he here to begin the end of the world? Is humanity doomed? If he kills Lakyus then we won't stand a chance!_

"[Aspect of the Devil: Razor Sharp Claw]," Jaldabaoth stated calmly as his claws extended more than 80 centimeters. "Goodbye little worm. Take solace in the fact that soon the rest of your species will follow you into oblivion!"

* * *

"Beautiful," Momon muttered as looked down upon the burning city. Because Nabe had gotten tired of carrying Hamsuke and her master, he had equipped a necklace enchanted with the spell [Fly] and had flown ahead. He locked onto the target area, drew his swords, and began his descent. He landed in between Jaldabaoth and some midget in red with tremendous force, cracking the street underneath his feet.

"Hello Jaldabaoth," Momon's calm voice reverberated off the walls of the destroyed buildings.

* * *

"Gramps, have you found anything of use?" Jircniv Farlord el Nix asked as his purple eyes turned to the only real friend/mentor he had ever had. Flufer grinned in response as the other officials gathered around the table looked at him.

"I have discovered the location of Lucifer Dracul's home deep within the Great Forest of Tob," Fluder replied. "However, because he was able to keep me from finding the exact location with my usual spells and when I did finally find this "Great Tomb of Nazarick" my spell backfired, we can assume that he is a magic caster who is as powerful as me or is even more powerful than me." Everyone's eyes widened. It was one thing to be an even footing with Fluder, but to surpass him was unheard of.

"So that's why you're so excited, huh gramps?" Jircniv smirked.

"Yes, it has been centuries since I knew of anyone who could rival my magical prowess," Fluder said although he knew it was a lie. Lucifer didn't just rival him, he surpassed him in ways that made Fluder look like nothing more than an insect. "It would be wonderful to meet a fellow pioneer in the magical arts."

"Indeed, that's why we need to bind him to our side," Jircniv said. "Oversee preparations Fluder."

"As you command your majesty," Fluder responded to the man who had no idea that he had been replaced in terms of who was Fluder's master.

* * *

To Evileye, it was as if a giant unyielding wall had appeared before her. He was massive. Evileye carefully scanned him in order to discern his identity. Blazing red cape, dark armor, and massive swords infused with holy magic. It was the Holy Hunter, the Dark Knight, the Savior of E-Rantel.

It was Momon of Darkness.

"Dark hero! I am Evileye of Blue Rose! As a fellow adamatite ranked adventurer I ask for your assistance!" she said hopefully before immediately regretting her words. What was he going to do against a monster like Jaldabaoth?

"You didn't even have to ask," Momon said as he flourished his swords stylishly. "After all, I've been hunting this demon for years. It would be a shame to let him go now."

"You're the human who killed poor Valeda Tepes. Whatever have I done to invoke such animosity? Why do you hunt me human?" Jaldabaoth asked mockingly.

"Because I know what you'll do if nobody puts you down," Momon responded calmly as he pointed one of swords at Jaldabaoth. Even though he was constantly being mocked by Jaldabaoth, he wasn't baited and kept his cool. Evileye found that to be impressive.

"At least humans here that are worth the effort," Jaldabaoth gave a sinister laugh as he dropped the façade of false politeness and drew his claws. Momon readied his swords and, at the exact same moment, the pounced at each other becoming a whirlwind of swords and claws.

"Incredible…." Evileye breathed. That was all she was capable of coming up with at the moment. Her heart that hadn't budged in over 150 years seemed to beat once again as she prayed for her dark knight's victory over the existence of pure evil he now found himself locked in battle with. After another few moments of viciously assaulting each other, the demon and the dark knight backed off.

"Not bad for a human," Jaldabaoth seethed, seemingly trying to put on a façade of mocking politeness again but unable to suppress his wrath. "But would be able to keep up if I went all out?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Momon responded coolly.

"I've never met a human capable of holding his own against me, but how will you handle this? [Aspect of the Devil: Tentacle Wings]!" Jaldabaoth exclaimed as tentacle like wings sprouted from his back. He took to the air and sent a hail of razor sharp black feathers that were headed straight for Evileye. Having no more mana to summon a [Crystal Wall], Evileye clenched her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.

 _Well….. I'm fucked. I guess I had a good run._

Instead of dying, she heard the sounds of metal clashing against metal. She opened her eyes to find Momon ascting as a human shredder as his swords cut through every single feather that came close. Even Evileye with the enhanced sight and reaction time she had as a vampire was barely able to see his swords that were moving faster than the naked eye could see.

"Are you alright?" Momon asked calmly as he continued to furiously slash at the feathers that would've cut though meat and bone. When he cut the last of the feathers, Evileye noticed a half cut feather stuck his shoulder pauldron.

"Your shoulder!" Evileye exclaimed, almost freaking out. Momon looked at and shrugged.

"Attacks like this are nothing to be concerned about," he said with a friendly chuckle. Now Evileye was freaking out for different reasons. Momon looked back at Jaldabaoth who was slowly getting farther away.

"You are an exceptional warrior human!" Jaldabaoth proclaimed with legitimate praise. "I look forward to finishing this Momon!"

"Then why don't we finish this here and now?" Momon asked as he scooped up Evileye with one arm. In her mind's eye, she saw herself being carried like a princess from one of Lakyus' romance novels. In reality she was being carried like a sack of potatoes, which she did not appreciate.

"I'm in no rush," Jaldabaoth shrugged as he continued to fly away. "Prepare yourself, Momon! My forces and I shall turn a portion of this city into hell on earth! Once I have completed my objective, rest assured I will send you to hell atop a pyre of unholy flame!" and with that he flew off.

"Oh no! If we don't get after him-" Evileye started.

"He would be among allies and would fight with all of his might. Currently we are in no condition to handle such an engagement," Momon sighed.

 _And I would be dead weight._

As Evileye realized this, she furrowed her eyebrows in aggravation over her own weakness. She immediately regretted how she had berated Climb for his weaknesses yesterday. As she was think that, a giant fur ball fell out of the sky.

"Owie," Hamsuke cried as it landed on its head.

"Quiet gerbil," came a woman's voice. Evileye turned to see the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen.

"Nabe, I'm glad you and Hamsuke could join us," Momon said to the woman. Evileye narrowed her eyes. So this was the "Beautiful Princess" Nabe? As vain as she thought the name was, she had to grudgingly agree that it fit. This woman could even give Lakyus a run for her money.

"That was the demon we have been hunting, Sir Momon?" Nabe asked.

"It was definitely him," Momon replied.

"Sir, how long do you plan to hold that overgrown mosquito?" Nabe asked as she indicated towards Evileye.

"Oh! My apologies," Momon said hurriedly as he set her down.

"I-it's fine. I understood your intentions," Evileye stammered. Now that he wasn't concentrating on the show he had just put on with Demiurge, Momon noticed something. Although her stature was that of a young boy, she smelled female and was apparently excreting a high ammouht of hormones.

 _We just met and she's already having those kind of thoughts in her head? First Albedo now this! WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING!?_

Although there was a more important detail his senses had picked up. He knew a fellow vampire when he saw one, but now wasn't the time to ask about that. He had to make sure this operation went smoothly. Evileye, on the other hand, wasn't thinking of anything serious at all.

 _HE'S SO COOL HE'S SO COOL HE'S SO COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!_

"Are those your comrades over there?" Momon asked. Evileye whirled around and looked at Tia's blue faced corpse and Gargan's burnt remains. "I understand your leader Lakyus can use revival magic. Will they be alright?"

"As long as Lakyus can get here, yes," Evileye responded while frowning under her mask. How did he know Lakyus?

"Good. Would you mind telling me what exactly happened here?"

* * *

Down in the Humanika sewers, Nigun sighed as he sat down the last squeaking crate. He stood behind it, pried it open, and released the plague rats that had been loaded into it. The sewers were now clawing with ravenous plague rats and the only reason they left Nigun alone was because, as a vampire, he had the ability to command them. He turned around to head back to surface, but ended up face to face a lich. Nigun froze. Did it serve his master? How was a lich in the heart of the Slane Theocracy?

"Nigun," the lich rasped. "I represent an organization who would to speak with your master, Lucifer Dracul." Nigun stiffened. Had he been found out? Still, these creatures were undad like his god, so they could be trusted to an extent.

"Lead the way," Nigun sighed. For about 20 minutes, he followed the undead creature through the mazelike inner workings of Humanika's sewers before coming to a concealed door that revealed itself when the lich pressed on a mossy brick. Nigun's eyes widened as he found a large underground structure laid out before his eyes. Everywhere he looked there were vampires, liches, men in red robes, elves, even a Death Knight with a purple cape.

"Grandmaster Zur is waiting for us," the lich said as he motioned for Nigun to follow him deeper into the catacombs.

* * *

Countless adventurers had gathered inside of the Royal Palace, which had part of its roof destroyed during the initial attack. Some turned their gaze back to the Market District which was now surrounded by a ring of fire and had a massive dragon-like creature in the patrolling it. They couldn't the beast itself as it was too far away but they could see the large rib-like spikes tower over buildings and sometimes it would raise its head over the building to peer around on its long thick neck. The Warrior Captain Gazef Stronoff, Brain Unglaus, Climb and Princess Renner were gathered on a stage in front of crowds of adventurers. With them on that stage were the remaining members of Blue Rose, the Re-Estize guild master, and Momon, who had taken his helmet off. Nabe was taking a nap on top of Hamsuke since she had carried both Momon and Hamsuke well over halfway from E-Rantel to Re-Estize, but Momon had told Evileye that they were doing a quick sweep for survivors. Climb and Brain had posted a massive map of the city to the wall. Once everyone became quiet, the Re-Estize guild master spoke up.

"I would like to thank everyone here for being present at this emergency meeting," she began. "As you know, the Adventurer's Guild would usually never take part in national affairs…" everyone looked at Blue Rose. "However, if you have much as looked outside today, you know that this is an exceptional case so we have decided to cooperate with the kingdom in order to resolve the crisis we are faced with. Princess Renner will give you the details, so be quiet and pay attention or I'm demoting you down to copper plate." With that, she sat down and the princess took the stage.

"Thank you all for coming. I am very grateful," Renner said as she bowed to the gathered adventurers. As many of them sighed affectionately, Momon smirked, silently impressed how easy it was for her to get fools to blindly follow her. "Normally, I would render praise for your services to the Kingdom, but right now time is of the essence. Approximately four hours ago at sunset, six creatures flew over the city and obliterated much of it. These actions were shortly followed by the events of two hours ago when demons started turning up in the Market District and has been encircled by a ring of fire." The adventurers nodded in understanding as they had seen the destruction first hand. "The perpetrator of this catastrophe is the Demon King Jaldabaoth. Blue Rose has confirmed that the demon hordes on the side of the firewall are preparing for battle under Jaldabaoth's command."

"So cut off the head and the body will die. So all we have to do is kill Jaldabaoth?" one adventurer asked.

"That is correct, but it will not be that easy. He has his forces consolidated in the Market District while he searches for an item so getting to him will not be easy," Lakyus spoke up.

"How do we know what he's up to?" another adventurer asked.

"Momon will explain that later," said Renner.

"How strong is this demon?" yet another adventurer spoke up. Evileye walked forward.

"My teammates Gargan, Tia, and myself engaged Jaldabaoth ourselves," she said. "We didn't even qualify as a threat to them. He killed them each with a single blow." The adventurers started to panic. Adamantite ranked adventurers were the pinnacle of humanity, living legends. It was understandable that they would feel apprehensive about fighting a monster who ate legends for breakfast. "Do not be afraid! Jaldabaoth is powerful, there is no doubt about that. He is not a monster that a normal human can defeat. But there is a man in our midst who is capable of going toe to toe with Jaldabaoth!"

"What?"

"Who?"

"Whoever it is must be crazy!"

"It's gotta be Momon."

"Meh."

"Tell us already!"

"I believe the man with me needs no introduction," Evileye said. "He is our foremost expert on Jaldabaoth and has been hunting the demon for the past three years! The leader of Darkness! The Holy Hunter! The Dark Knight Momon!" Hearing his name, Momon stood up and walked to the front of the stage ignoring Evileye who became increasingly giddy when he stood close to her. She kept staring at his features. The slight frown he always seemed to have when he was on a mission, the eyebrows always furrowed in concentration, the eyes always filled with concern for what may happen if he failed those who were depending on him…..

 _Dammit brain! Kill demons now, figure out a way for a vampire like yourself to get pregnant later! Jaldabaoth is still out there after all! Okay, you can look at him five more seconds…..twenty more seconds….sixty….._

"Time is of the essence so let's make this quick," Momon said as crossed his arms. "Jaldabaoth is a demon who far surpasses the prowess of the Evil Deities immeasurably. He is searching for an item I believe to be in the possession of the Eight Fingers that he will use as the epicenter of a dark ritual he will enact to achieve his ultimate goal."

"What is that goal?" Lakyus asked.

"The complete annihilation of all human life," Momon stated. Everyone's eyes widened as they heard those words and Evileye was snapped out of her fantasies. No one had attempted something so horrible since the days of the Eight Greed Kings! "I trust you understand why failure isn't an option."

"You are our expert on Jaldabaoth, Sir Momon," Renner spoke up. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yes," Momon nodded. "As long as that creature, which is called a Stygius, remains it will tear apart anyone who tries to approach Jaldabaoth from the air. Our primary objective is to kill that creature in order to clear the path to Jaldabaoth. Will join the ground forces until we eliminate the beast and then I will go after Jaldabaoth himself. We should expect Gazer Devils, Hellhounds, Imps, Devourers, and Demon Swarms. If you have any questions I will be here until it is time for to move out. If not, prepare yourselves. We will engage the enemy in half an hour!"

* * *

 **This took a little longer to make than I would've liked. But I LOVE the Demonic Disturbance Arc!**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	19. Raising Hell

Chapter 18: Raising Hell

Momon was still stuck greeting adventures like it was some social event at work, which painfully reminded him of his time as a human, and couldn't get out of it because Nabe was still sleeping on Hamsuke.

"Your armor is so cool!"

"Thank you."

"How do you lift those huge swords?"

"I work out."

"Meh."

"Meh? Why did you even bother coming over here?"

"Can you really beat Jaldabaoth?"

"I certainly hope so."

"You look like you've done this before," a certain short magic caster spoke up the second he finished speaking to a fire mage with pink hair. He had a stupid grin on his face. Dragneel or Dragnite or something…..

 _Dammit. His face is just….. I don't know why but I just really want punch him in the face until his skull caves in._

"This? Oh, it's nothing really," Momon said dismissively, ignoring the unhappiness in his nonexistent heart at being reminded of his past life yet again.

"Well, I think it's the best attitude a leader can have," Evileye chirped. She always seemed to be increasingly happy whenever she was within his immediate vicinity.

"Thank you, I suppose, but I am just doing my duty," Momon said with false friendliness.

"I had a feeling you were a generous man, Sir Momon," Evileye said happily.

 _It's annoying, but her attraction to Momon could be manipulated in the future. Maybe I could even get her to join my side. She is a vampire after all. There is much I could use to persuade her._

"Oh? It seems Warrior Captain Gazef Stronoff, has already left," Evileye commented. "I understand he's a busy person, but he should've at least said hello to you." Momon suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Personally, he didn't care if Gazef greeted him or not. Under the effects of [Mortal's Mask], his voice changed to match that of whoever's face he was wearing so there wasn't much of a chance of Gazef recognizing that Momon was Lucifer Dracul. Still, mannerisms were things that were difficult to fake and even more difficult to hide so he should still be wary all the same.

"It's not a problem," Momon said before Evileye could offer to go retrieve him. "Like you said he's a busy man and with the situation we find ourselves in, I imagine he has much more to do than usual."

"I see. I hadn't thought of that," Evileye said with her sparkling eyes hidden under her mask. Momon mentally frowned. He was usually very good at reading people, but that mask Evileye wore limited how he could employ his skills. He could smell her hormone output, but that was really it. She was undead so she had no pulse for him to sense when she was lying and the eyes, which were the windows to the soul, were hidden behind that mask making it nearly impossible to discern her true intentions. His only advantage over her was that she was very bad at hiding her emotions. Quick to anger, prone to jealousy, and was full of moments when her emotions would make her accidentally blurt something out. Still, it could be an act. It was unlikely, but Lucifer and Momon had remained two separate entities so far because he had been cautious.

"So, Ms. Evileye," Momon began.

"Just Evileye to you Sir Momon," she interrupted. "You saved me from Jaldabaoth. You don't have to be so formal." As she said this, she held a faint hope that this conversation could lead to them having more than just a professional relationship.

 _Whatever. I don't give a damn._

"Very well. Then I'd ask that you just call me Momon," he replied, keeping up his friendly appearance. That was when Evileye's hormone production level went through the roof.

 _Seriously, is she going to need a change of clothes by before we even start the fight?_

"I would like that," Evileye replied, delighted by his response, before grabbing onto his arm. "Come with me. The others are waiting," she said as she pointed towards the room where Blue Rose, the princess and her subordinates had entered.

"Are you sure? Shouldn't we wait for Nabe?" Momon asked.

"She's right there," Evileye stated as nudged her head in the direction behind Momon. Momon looked and, sure enough, there was Nabe, or so everyone thought. The person before him did appear exactly like Nabe, but there was one minor difference. She had a pleasant smile on her face. That's how Momon knew that this was in fact Pandora's Actor.

"Very well then. Let's go," Momon said although Evileye had already started dragging him towards the room. "Nabe" followed them with a curious gaze fixed on Evileye. As he was dragged down the halls he could hear people praising him from the room he just left. Momon scowled as he put his helmet back on, thinking about how quickly their opinions of Momon, or even Evileye, would change if they were found out to be bloodsucking monsters.

* * *

Entoma smiled under her mask as she took another bite out of the man's leg. Deep within the Market District, Demiurge had opened a [Gate] to start sending resources back to Nazarick. Solution Epsilon had been placed in charge of rounding up survivors and keeping them under control while they were transported, CZ2128 was assisting Mare in capturing members of the Eight Fingers, Avenir was jumping across rooftops looking for anyone who might be hiding to assist Solution, Lupusregina was helping Demiurge set up false evidence, and Yuri Alpha was tasked with gathering gems, money, jewelry, and anything else that else that could be converted into a currency. Meanwhile, Entoma had been tasked with overseeing the gathering of corpses. She was particularly happy with her job because when she had asked if she could snack on the bodies, her master responded with:

"As long as you leave the bones untouched."

This was a cake job. Hell, it wasn't even a job. It isn't work if you love what you do.

"Entoma!" a scathing voice called out. Entoma turned around to see Demiurge tapping his foot impatiently. "Put down that leg and get your designated uniform! It would be inconvenient to say the least if anyone connected Jaldabaoth's subordinates to the Pleiades of Lucifer Dracul!"

"Yes sir, Lord Demiurge!" Entoma replied as she hurriedly finished her snack.

"You and the other Pleiades members are being tasked with assassinating HVTs within the Royal and Noble factions in order to further destabilize the balance of power in the Kingdom," Demiurge told Entoma. "We want to ensure that the Royal faction becomes the side that the commoners end up siding with while the Noble faction becomes more despised than they already are. This is a direct order from Lord Dracul! Failure will not be tolerated! Leave no witnesses!"

* * *

Momon glanced at Evileye, who was entirely too happy from being next to him. It was for the best though, as long as her attention was elsewhere, she was less likely to notice the Shadow Demons that were infiltrating the Royal Palace. He and Evileye were gathered around a table within the Royal Palace with Princess Renner, Climb, Lakyus, Brain Unglaus, "Nabe",and Tina. They had been going over backup plans, checkpoints, quickest routes to objectives, and, of course, best methods on take down the demons they would face, especially the massive Stygius. Momon let out a sigh and looked over at a window on the other side of the room.

 _To think that just a few hours ago, I was in this room throwing some jackass out that window._

It was 15 minutes until the adventurers moved out when Climb spoke up.

"Princess, I know a man who may be able to help defeat Jaldabaoth," he said. "Momon is skilled I have no doubt and if the two of them work together, I know they would be absolutely unbeatable!" Momon narrowed his eyes momentarily as he turned his gaze to the boy. What had Renner done to make this idiot so loyal? Clearly Renner trusted him. Could he be useful?

"Climb, whoever you suggest will probably just get in Momon's way," Evileye scoffed. "Momon is the strongest warrior who has ever, and dare I say, will ever exist!"

* * *

Miles away in Arwintar, a hooded man sneezed while he was examining some armor and weapons. As he recomposed himself, he looked around for a moment to check if anyone was watching him.

"Somebody is talking shit about me," he muttered before looking back at the armor he was considering purchasing.

* * *

"That might not be so, Evileye," Brain finally spoke up. "I've seen the man Climb is talking about. He took down a member of the Six Arms without any effort."

"You're Brain Unglaus, right?" Evileye asked. Momon finally realized why the man looked so familiar. The hair, the eyes, the devotion shown to a single person, and the name. Avenir Unglaus, Brain Unglaus. He was too old to be Avenir's brother, father perhaps?

"Yeah, that's me," Brain shrugged.

"Since you're stronger than Climb, your words have more weight, but that isn't enough to guarantee this man's strength," Evileye said haughtily before adding in a snide remark. "Besides, didn't you lose to that hag, Rigrit Bers Caurau?"

"So did you, idiot," Tina interjected resulting in Evileye whimpering. Momon racked his brains for information on this Rigrit woman. She was a member of the Thirteen Heroes, still alive, skilled at controlling the undead, close friend of the Platinum Dragon Lord, current location unknown.

"So who was this man?" Momon asked, although he had a feeling he knew who it was.

"His name is Sebas. I bet he could even beat that monster, Shalltear Bloodfallen," Brain replied. Momon's brain immediately went into overdrive. How did Brain know Shalltear? Was he the skilled martial artist who had escaped her? He had heard rumors that Brain used to run with a rough crowd so it was possible that this "rough crowd" were the bandits Shalltear had encountered. Since they hadn't given any names to the Black Scripture and the rogue who reported the vampire had watched from a distance too far to hear anything, this was the only logical conclusion.

"I see. I have not met him so I do know which of us is stronger," Momon said while he mentally assigned himself the task of creating a cover story for Sebas. Originally, he hadn't needed to as his orders were to blend in, but now that Sebas' strength had become known he would need a good cover story. A retired adamantite adventurer would be a fitting cover, but he would have to steal an adamantite plate from Ainzach's office to serve as proof.

"Of course Sir Momon is stronger!" "Nabe" proclaimed confidently while Evileye nodded in agreement.

"For now let's just assume he's on even footing with me," Momon said with a sigh.

"That is a very mature response, Sir Momon," Lakyus spoke up. "My companion here can learn a thing or two from you. Not only does she lack height but adaptability as well." Momon silently analyzed her gear while she and Evileye started talking about making arrangements to visit Gargan and Tia in the infirmary. High quality armor, though not as good as the Black Scripture's gear, and that black sword she had was one he recognized from the Swords of Darkness: The Demonic Sword Kilineygram. They said it capable of destroying a small country. After casting a silent [Appraise Magical Item], he saw that while being able to destroy a country was an exaggeration of its abilities, it was immensely powerful, even by Yggdrasil standards. But what really caught his eye was that it overcame class restrictions.

 _Even if I'm not using [Perfect Warrior] like I do when I'm acting as Momon, I would be able to use that sword! I need to get my hands on that sword!_

Before he could continue this line of thought there was a knock at the door as Zanack and Raeven entered the room.

"Everyone, please leave us," Renner asked. At the princess's command, everyone stood up and left the room. Ignoring the petty politics that they would no doubt be discussing, Momon turned his attention to Evileye as they left the room.

"Please excuse us. My partner and I need to discuss something in private," Momon said, making an excuse to talk to "Nabe" without anyone listening in.

"Oh….. okay," Evileye sulked, with an expression under her mask that would make one think of a kicked puppy, as she continued to follow Lakyus and Tina to the makeshift infirmary that had been set up in the throne room. Momon and "Nabe" rounded a corner into an abandoned corridor that had all the windows shattered during the initial attack as "Nabe" transformed back into his real form.

"[Anti-Intelligence Magic Wall]. Now that there isn't anyone listening in, what do you have to report Pandora's Actor?" Momon asked the faceless creature who now stood before him.

"Mein wunderbar gott!" Pandora's Actor said with a salute. "Demiurge has sent me to inform you that we have nearly finished rounding up all of the menschlich, in the Market District as well as all the resources we needed in order to strengthen Nazarick. Most of the false evidence has been planted so everyone will blame the Eight Fingers for this kalamität. Additionally, Fluder Paradyne has contacted the Adventurer's Guild requesting the services of Momon." Momon grinned evilly under his helmet. Everything was finally coming together.

"Go wake Nabe and tell her it's almost time for our fight with Jaldabaoth," Momon ordered. "Once we're done here in Re-Estize, tell Jigsaw to mobilize the Clockwork Soldiers in preparation for Nazarick's ascension and that he can soon begin construction of the Dead House." Upon receiving his orders, Pandora's Actor saluted again and started to walk away only to turn back to his master after a few steps.

"Mein Führer?" he asked. "Who was that short vampire with the mask?" Momon raised an eyebrow at this question.

"She is an adamantite ranked adventurer named Evileye. Why?" he questioned.

"She's cute," Pandora's Actor deadpanned before walking away like he had said nothing odd. Momon stared after him as he transformed into a random guard in order to blend in and walked out of sight.

 _That's what he's into? All those times I left him alone with Shalltear… I'm not going to think about this anymore._

* * *

"Welcome, Sir Nigun," Zur said as Nigun took a seat at the table. They had pulled up an extra seat in addition to the usual thirteen. "I am sure you have figured this out by now, but we are the inner circle of Zuranon."

"Why is your base in the heart of the Slane Theocracy?" Nigun asked the Overlord.

"It's the last place they'd ever look isn't it?" another man at the table who was clad in a purple robes spoke up.

"I believe this would be more effective if we introduced ourselves," Zur stated. "I am known as Grandmaster Zur and these men around you are known as my Twelve Executives. Founder of Zuranon and 3rd seat on the Black Scripture. I have an offer for your true master Lucifer Dracul."

"How do you know who I serve?" Nigun asked.

"You and Sir Attano have been dumping plague rats in the sewer for some time, Nigun," Zur responded. "This is our domain down here. We take notice of such things." Nigun sighed before he finally nodded and decided to play along.

"My name is Nigun Grid Luin, agent of the one true god, Lucifer Dracul," he said as he locked eyes with Zur.

"Very good, Sir Nigun," Zur nodded. "We would like to have a meeting with you master to discuss the possibility of an alliance, nay, I would like to offer him our services." Nigun widened his eyes and if it wasn't for his undead status he would've started panicking. He had been sent to the Theocracy for the purpose of spying on the enemy and sabotaging them. He didn't know how to handle this!

"Why do you want to assist my master?" he asked, deciding to start with something basic.

"I was present when your master attacked the Black Scripture. It was extraordinary work and, if I was to guess, only one of the many operations he has running behind the scenes," Zur said before nodding to one of the men in purple. The man nodded back before he took a scroll out from the folds in his robes and rolled it across the table towards Nigun. "This scroll contains the compiled information our spies have gathered regarding the backroom politics of each nation. Your master has truly upset the balance of power. We want to help. Consider this a show of good faith."

"I'm sure my master will be pleased," Nigun said as he took the scroll and tucked it away within his black and white robes. "However, I cannot claim to know what he would say to your offer. I will make contact with him and inform him of your proposal, but I make no guarantees that he will accept your offer."

"Deliver our message to him. That is all I ask," Zur stated with a slight bow.

* * *

The adventurers were assembled just outside the firewall, which Momon had been referring to as the [Flames of Gehenna]. Momon, Evileye, and the real Nabe, who was as grumpy as ever after being woken up, were mounted on Hamsuke at the head of the formation in the slums while Lakyus and Tina had already led the other adventurers from the residential center into the target area in an attempt to draw some of the demons away from Momon.

"While the [Flames of Gehenna] will not harm you, they will immediately alert Jaldabaoth to our presence," Momon shouted to the people behind him. They nodded with determination in their eyes, ready to face whatever horrors lay on the other side. While the [Flames of Gehenna] only served as a security system, the countless fires that were still raging throughout the capitol were not nearly as harmless. While some of the fires had gone out others had instead spread to other buildings and until Jaldabaoth was dealt with, many mages were unavailable to assist in putting out the fires. Now there were fires, big and small, all over the entire city with the only people doing anything about them were volunteers, the local Mage's Guild, and a contingent of troops sent by Zanack and Renner. Prince Barbro was hiding inside the Royal Palace like the worm he was while the king and Gazef were at an undisclosed location.

"We are ready, Sir Momon," Nabe grunted.

"Let's go send these monsters back to hell!" Evileye exclaimed as she raised her fist.

"This king will brave whatever dangers lie before us and crush those in its way for its master!" Hamsuke proclaimed. Momon gave Hamsuke a quick pat before unsheathing one of his massive swords with his right hand while his left hand gripped Hamsuke's reigns. After a few more seconds of waiting they heard the sounds of battle echoing through the streets from the other side of the firewall. Lakyus' group had engaged the enemy.

"NOW!" Momon roared as the adventurers charged through the flames and into the barren Market District with Momon leading the way. Out of all the other districts in the capitol, this place had taken the worst of it. Many buildings were nothing but burning piles of rubble, the night sky had been completely hidden by a massive cloud of smoke made by the raging fires, blood splatters and debris littered the streets, the buildings that weren't destroyed had their doors busted down, and there were strange demonic symbols written in blood on walls, floors, and other flat surfaces. The only source of light came from the countless fires spread throughout the district. There were some stray demons near their access point. Most were attacked by the adventurers while a few of them attempted to flee and regroup with the rest of the demons. Momon, with the flames reflecting onto armor, rode up alongside five of the runners on Hamsuke, leaned over the massive hamster's side, and with a single slice that curved upward, cut all five of them vertically in half. It wasn't long after that little skirmish that Hellhounds began to converge on the adventurers and slow their advance. As the Hellhound charge towards the adventurers, Momon continued to charge towards them on Hamsuke. Ten of the beasts pounced towards Hamsuke only to be intercepted by Evileye and Nabe.

[Chain Lightning!" Nabe yelled as the a bolt of lightning struck one of the Hellhounds, killing it and using as a conductor for two more lightning bolts that vaporized the two Hellhounds that were next to it.

"[Maximize Magic: Shard Buck Shots]!" Evileye cried as dozens of small crystals appeared out of nothing and shot out at the Hellhounds, piercing their bodies and killing six of them. The last on tried to latch its jaws onto Momon, but when it got close enough, Momon's armored hand grabbed it by its maw, jumped off Hamsuke, and smashed its face into the ground killing it instantly. He looked up to see a Demon Swarm accompanied by Gazer Devils and three Devourers approaching the group. Cocking his head to the side to crack his neck, he drew his other sword.

"Move the dead back to the checkpoint so Lakyus can heal them! Archers and mages take cover in the abandoned store! The rest of you form up on me! These things are between us and the Stygius!" Momon barked out orders as he and a large crowd of warriors charged to meet the horde.

* * *

Brain, Lockmyer, and Climb snuck through an abandoned building to get closer to the warehouses. They had been tasked by Renner to search the area for survivors, but no luck so far. As they crawled through the wreckage of what used to be someone's home, Climb opened the door to a bedroom and suddenly started gagging.

"Climb? What is it?" Brain demanded, concerned for the boy.

"Brain, you better take a look at this," Lockmyer said as he peered through the door. Brain walked over into the room to find a man, a nobleman from the looks of him, eviscerated. The corpse was covered in some kind of slop, looked like it had been chewed on, and had its limbs removed.

"Holy shit," Brain muttered. As Brain continued to stare in horror at the mutilated corpse he heard a noise from underneath the bed. Slowly, Brain bent down and checked underneath the bed to find a little boy staring back at him. "Hey, Lockmyer I found one!"

 _Fuck, this kid must've seen the whole thing go down._

"C'mon out kid," Brain said as he offered the boy his hand. Just as he stretched out his hand, one of the many fires cast the shadow of a being with massive spider legs sprouting out of its back saw that crossed Brain's line of sight. "Everyone get down!" Brain whispered harshly. Nobody moved, except for the kid who started shaking when he saw that shadow.

"Let's see," a cute voice came from the direction of the shadow. "That's Duke Kado, Marquis Pespeya, Count Jhemen, and Marquis Raeven's wife all dead! I hope my lord will be pleased with me." Brain slowly turned his head to glimpse a figure in black robes with spider legs sprouting out its back. Underneath the black robes it seemed to be wearing, what Brain thought for just a brief moment, a maid uniform and was gnawing on a human arm. After a few more minutes of waiting for the creature to pass, the group slowly got to their feet.

"I thought this was just a demon invasion," Lockmyer spoke up. "So why are they targeting nobles and their families?"

"Do I look I know?" Brain snapped. "Take the kid back to the checkpoint, Climb and I will do another sweep."

* * *

Momon jumped to a spectacular height, dug his swords into the head of the last Devourer and let his bodyweight pull the swords down, cutting the demon vertically into three pieces. With the last demon taken care of, Momon remounted Hamsuke and sped off towards the Stygius. The Stygius reared its ugly face, maw dripping with molten material, and glared at the humans with light green eyes. Its massive light gray body turned towards the approaching adventure, with its large rib-like spikes scraping up the earth as it moved, and let out a gurgling roar.

"All archers and mages need to keep their distance from that monster and give me covering fire! Everyone else needs to keep the other demons off them!" Momon shouted to the surviving adventurers. Knowing the plan, the mages and archers began unleashing a constant barrage of arrows and spells on the gigantic creature while Nabe and Evileye used [Fly] to provide air support and the adventurers who specialized in close combat engaged the demon swarms in a brutal melee.

Hamsuke continued to speed towards the Stygius crushing any demons in its path underfoot while Momon continued to hack and slash at the demons who came at them from the sides."Hamsuke stop now!" Momon suddenly shouted. Hamsuke wasn't sure why Momon had given that order, but out of loyalty to its master, Hamsuke followed its orders nonetheless. Momon jumped at the exact moment of Hamsuke's abrupt stop causing the momentum to allow him to travel further than he would have if he had simply jumped. The combined momentum caused Momon to fly like he had been shot out of a cannon, did a midair flip, and landed onto the back of the Stygius. He plunged his swords into the creatures back and ran up to the beast's neck creating large gashes across its back. About halfway there, the Stygius realized he was there and bucked like a bull to throw Momon off. Momon thrust his swords in deeper and held on to avoid being hurled through the air. When bucking didn't work, the Stygius turned it head 360 degrees and started snapping at Momon who avoided being swallowed whole by removing his swords from the monster's back and jumped towards the side of its face. He stabbed on sword into its skin to steady himself since at this point he was hanging from his sword and with his other sword he made a forceful stab right into the creature's big green eye. The Stygius lifted it head towards the sky and let out a bloodcurdling screech while Momon took advantage of its momentary distraction and detached himself from its ugly face causing him to fall right towards its neck. With a downward slash, Momon cleaved through the demon's entire neck, decapitating it. As the Stygius collapsed, Momon, covered in blood and slime, landed on the ground below creating an impact crater where he landed. No one made a sound.

"Holy fuck," someone said. Momon ignored whoever said that and equipped his necklace enchanted with [Fly].

"Hamsuke, you and the others should go regroup with Lakyus' group," Momon said as he started hovering towards Evileye and Nabe. "Now that the Stygius is dead there is nothing to stop us from approaching Jaldabaoth from the air." And with that he flew off.

 _GODDAMN I FEEL LIKE A BADASS! I hope I looked as cool as I thought I did._

"Momon?" Evileye spoke up.

"Yes Evileye?" Momon responded.

"That slime you're covered in really stinks," Evileye said with a deadpan expression under her mask.

 _Seriously? That's all she comments on?_

Meanwhile in Evileye's brain:

 _OMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! THAT WAS SO COOL!_

* * *

Climb and Brain stared in awe as the watched the Stygius get decapitated. They were watching from a distance so it was probably a lot more impressive up close, but that thing was so huge they didn't think anything would kill it, much less cut its head off.

"Well I'll be damned, they actually did it," Brain said quietly.

"Of course they did," Climb said. "They had the princess's support!" Brain rolled his eyes at that statement.

"I didn't see her down there," he muttered quietly enough for Climb not to hear. While Climb surveyed the area for more survivors, Brain felt someone's eyes on them. It was a presence similar to Shalltear's, but not quite exact. He looked up to the roofs and saw a woman with blue hair who appeared to be in her late teens or early 20s was staring at them from on top of a destroyed blacksmith's shop. "Climb keep looking around, I'll catch up," he said not wanting Climb to panic or run off to do something stupid. With that, Brain started climbing up a pile of debris. The strange blue haired woman hadn't budged when he finally got onto the roof. The only change in her position was that she had turned to face him.

"Are you lost?" she asked as she innocently tilted her head. Brain wasn't letting his guard down. Those eyes of hers reminded him of Shalltear Bloodfallen.

 _Another vampire. By the gods that hair looks familiar…._

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, deciding not to invite hostility like he did with Shalltear. That said, he still kept a hand on his katana just in case.

"Watching," she said with a shrug as she went back to watching the struggle betweem Lakyus' group and the demons. Brain winced as he turned to see what she was watching.

It was brutal.

Hellhounds were feasting on a man who was still alive causing him to feel every ounce of pain. A man knocked down an Imp with his shield before stomping on its face repeatedly. A group of guards were being swallowed up by a Devourer causing their faces to appear under its skin. The only sight that gave Brain any hope was Gazef and his warrior band arrive on the battlefield cleaving through demons left and right.

"You watch this for fun?" Brain asked scathingly.

"No," she responded. "I hate it. But master says I need to be acclimatized to the reality of mankind's violence before I'm ready to see how real battle is conducted." Brain raised an eyebrow.

"So you're not with the demons? You don't serve Jaldabaoth?" he inquired.

"No. I serve the God of Life and Death," she stated without elaborating on what she was talking about. Brain narrowed his eyes but didn't press the subject any further.

"What's your name?" Brain asked, not sure what else he should say. She didn't seem hostile, but she was still a vampire who couldn't just be left to her own devices in the middle of Re-Estize.

"Avenir Unglaus," she replied, not taking her eyes off the battle. Brain's eyes widened. He didn't have a family. No siblings, no cousins, he didn't even have a pet.

"Where did you get that name?" Brain asked while trying to keep himself from freaking out.

"My mom," she shrugged as if it wasn't important causing Brain to let out a sigh of frustration.

"That doesn't really-" Brain started before looking back over at her to see she was gone. He frantically checked his surroundings but she was nowhere to be seen.

 _Am I losing my mind?_

* * *

Jaldabaoth looked around at the hellscape he had created and let out a satisfied sigh. Ah, if only everyday could be this much fun. Still, the desires of the Supreme Being came before all else.

 _Now if my calculations were correct, the master should be arriving right about….._

He looked up at the smoky sky that now hung over the Market District and saw three figures descend from the sky at high speeds. The first was big, armored, and held two swords. The second was slender and was dressed in a tunic-robe combo that portrayed her as a skilled magic caster. The third one was a lower lifeform so who care?

 _…_ _..now. Back to acting._

Momon, Nabe, and Evileye landed before Jaldabaoth who gave them his usual mocking bow and politeness while leering at them from behind his twisted mask.

"I was terribly worried about you, Momon," he said in exaggerated politeness. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't make it here."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Momon replied curtly while Evileye prepared a spell.

"Between the three of us, I'm sure we can defeat you, demon!" she exclaimed while thinking about in a few hours this nightmare would be over and she would be free to what she wanted with Momon. As if she could hear Evileye's thoughts, Nabe glared at her.

"Your birth was a mistake," Nabe muttered so that nobody could hear her, except Momon.

"Yes, I do believe you're right," Jaldabaoth said as he glared at Evileye. "Unfortunately, this will not be a three on one fight." The moment those words left his mouth, the Evil Lords of Nazarick's 7th Floor emerged from behind the nearby buildings. "Keep the females out of this! This is between me and Momon!" Having been given their orders, the Evil Lords went on the offensive. Lord Envy and Lord Greed went after Nabe while Lord Wrath charged at Evileye.

"[Maximize Magic: Shard Buck Shots]!" Evileye cried sending countless crystal shards towards Lord Wrath, but he folded his wings to cover his chest, blocking any damage that may have been dealt to him. Out of the corner of her, Evileye watched Nabe take a hit from Lord Greed's evil looking scythe causing her to be blown back into a burning building. Lord Envy and Lord Greed didn't give her second to catch her breath and immediately started chasing her through the building. Meanwhile, Momon, his blazing cape no longer a brilliant red do to the blood and dirt that had accumulated on it, was engaged in a vicious melee as his swords clashed with Jaldabaoth's claws once more. Lord Wrath swiped at Evileye with his massive claws forcing her to back away. "[Fly]!" she cried as she took to the sky. That didn't keep Lord Wrath away from her however seeing as his response to Evileye's flight was to spread his own blazing wings and take off after her.

"[Unholy Ray]!" he bellowed as he shot a purple beam of evil energy at her from his hand. "Die maggot!" Evileye narrowly dodged the attack but it still grazed her. She hissed in pain as she felt the unholy energy deal its damage. Thankfully, as an undead, she was considered unholy herself so it wasn't nearly as damaging as it would've been if it was holy magic.

[Enhanced Maximize Magic: Crystal Dagger]!" Evileye chanted as a small dagger made of crystal appeared in her hand. "[Crystal Lance]!" she exclaimed as hurled a spear made of a bright blue crystal at Lord Wrath who laughed as he smacked it out of the way. But what he didn't notice was that while he had his attention on [Crystal Lance], Evileye had used [Teleport] to get right behind him and stabbed him in the back of the neck. Lord Wrath roared in pain as he lashed out with his claws at the termite to dare lay a finger on him! Evileye glanced at Momon and Jaldabaoth once again to see Momon tackle Jaldabaoth and send them both into a partially collapsed building. She and Nabe has to keep these monsters away from Momon! She hoped Nabe was doing alright….

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the house Nabe had been knocked into, she, Lord Envy, and Lord Greed had sat down and were having tea while they were supposed to be fighting to the death, or so Evileye thought.

"Are you serious Lady Nabe?" Lord Envy asked. "Those human adventurers never have Tea Time?"

"Never," Nabe said as she took a sip. "Although I suppose tea is not suited for such inferior beings."

"Well said!" Lord Greed proclaimed. "Filthy barbarians the lot of them!"

"Animals. Simply animals," Lord Envy commented. "Have they even heard of personal hygiene?" Nabe simply shrugged in response. "So Lady Nabe, what's it like to work together so closely with the master?"

"It is awe inspiring to see his genius firsthand," Nabe said proudly. "Truly there is no one better suited to rule the Great Tomb of Nazarick!"

"Must be nice," Lord Envy grumbled.

"Now, now Envy," Lord Greed spoke up with a sinister grin. "You mustn't covet what isn't yours."

"We should drink our tea quickly," Nabe said. "The order to pull back will come soon and I'd hate to spill any when we damage eachother. We do need to make this convincing after all."

"Yes," Lord Greed nodded.

"Indeed," Lord Envy added as she sipped her tea.

* * *

Momon blocked two more strikes from Jaldabaoth's claws before swiping them to the side and tackling Jaldabaoth into a building. Once they were out of sight, they stood up and walked into a room were Mare was waiting for them.

"Any trouble with Avenir?" Momon asked.

"She doesn't like what we're doing but when I asked her what she would be willing to do for Ruvik she said: "I would hunt down every man, woman, and child alive if it meant saving Ruvik". Silly girl," Jaldabaoth smirked. Momon simply nodded as the two of them sat down.

"Now, when we created this plan, we had five main objectives," Momon said as he took off his helmet. "How many of them have we accomplished?"

"Five? I was under the impression there were only four," Jaldabaoth said.

"Irrelevant, tell me what you have accomplished," Momon demanded.

"First: All the humans we could get our hands on have been transported back to Nazarick, my lord," Jaldabaoth assured. "Their blood will be used for dark rituals and experiments, their meat will go towards the more carnivorous among us, and there bones will be used to create more soldiers for your army."

"Good, then we will finally have the numbers we will need," Momon chuckled.

"Second: Everything of worth here in the financial heart of city, and dare I say the entire Re-Estize Kingdom, has been looted and taken to Nazarick, filling our coffers to the brim and providing us with an enormous stockpile of other resources."

"Jigsaw will be thrilled to know he can start pursuing his more outlandish ideas," Momon said.

"Yes, now if only he could learn to clean up after himself," Jaldabaoth scoffed as he remembered when he stepped in the intestines Jigsaw had just left lying around. "Third: Jaldabaoth's infamy will increase drastically because of this event and Momon's fame will reach new heights. The fear of Jaldabaoth will tie in nicely when we take the Holy Kingdom of Roble. Fourth: We have covered up our involvement in the Kingdom, most notably being Sebas' actions against the Eight Fingers and the nobles you instructed us to target. All of those who were involved in Sebas' actions were killed when the Stygi made their initial assault and the specific noble targets were murdered by the Pleiades once we were done gathering everything. The survivors were rounded up by Mare and CZ2128 and we are initiating them into the ranks via the Black Capsule. Now you'll have to explain this fifth objective to me because I am unaware of any other tasks we might have carried out."

"Demiurge, you know what I keep saying about humans, yes?" Momon asked with an evil smirk.

"Yes, they are more easily conquered when they are divided," Jaldabaoth responded.

"Precisely. There is a reason we set the Royal Faction up to appear to be the hero of the people," Momon said. "Tonight we have laid the groundwork for when we fully conquer the Kingdom. While the Royal Faction hired all of these adventurers to fight demons, the Noble Faction cowered in their homes and left the city to rot. This will make the commoners sympathize with the Royals who will gain power and the support of the people while sowing seeds of mistrust and hatred towards the Noble Faction."

"I understand my lord, but I fail to see how this ties in with taking the Kingdom," Jaldabaoth said with an eyebrow raised.

"When the time comes for our war with the Kingdom," Momon began. "The Royal Faction will lose power but keep the popular opinion of the people. After all, they will fighting an undead monster like myself. Meanwhile, the Nobles will have majority control but will still be hated. The political tension will rise until someone lights the fuse and then….." a look of realization dawned on Jaldabaoth.

"A rebellion against the nobles will break out!" Jaldabaoth exclaimed with a twisted grin.

"Precisely. And then we'll swoop in and save the people from their oppressors while also taking the land for ourselves," Momon finished as his eyes momentarily flashed red. "Now with that out of the way, what do you plan to leave behind as the item Jaldabaoth was hunting?"

"This," Jaldabaoth said as he held up a statue of a demon that held six gems. "This statue contains the 10th-Tier-Spell [Armageddon Evil]. It is certainly powerful enough to draw Jaldabaoth's attention." He stared at it with a frown before adding: "It was a possession of my creator Ulbert Alain Odle."

"Don't leave that, Demiurge," Momon interjected as he pulled a similar, cruder looking, object out. "This was made by Ulbert in Jigsaw's workshop. It was a prototype for his attempted replication of a WCI. It's weak by our standards but very powerful by the humans' standards. They will be none the wiser." With that he handed the item to Jaldabaoth who took it with trembling hands.

"Thank you my lord!" Jaldabaoth exclaimed with a bow as Mare copied him. "I will prove myself worthy of such benevolence!"

"I'm sure you will Demiurge," Momon said with a nod. "Now, I need you to scratch out my eye and damage my armor." Jaldabaoth looked up at his master's false face and stared in shock. "Do not worry Demiurge, I will not feel a thing since this is not my true face, although it will permanently alter how this face looks when I use [Mortal's Mask]. My true face will remain unscathed. We need the battle between Jaldabaoth and Momon to be extremely convincing and add wounds to each other for their coming grudge match." Jaldabaoth looked uneasy but nodded in compliance nonetheless.

"Very well my lord. As you command."

* * *

Evileye was exhausted. She had used every spell in her arsenal against Lord Wrath, but no matter what she used, it just hadn't been enough. Lord Wrath was about to launch another brutal assault when a lightning bolt came out of nowhere and knocked Lord Wrath away from Evileye. She turned and let out a sigh of relief as she saw Nabe was alive. Battered, but alive. Suddenly, the sound of a window breaking filled the air and helmet came clattering to Evileye's feet. Nabe and Evileye gasped.

It was Momon's helmet.

It was covered in scratches and the worst part was a massive gash that looked like it cut through the visor and left some blood on the helmet. Nabe frowned slightly as she thought of something.

 _The master doesn't bleed unless he wants to so this must be part of the plan._

The next thing they knew a wall exploded and a figure was sent flying before tumbling to the ground. For one moment, Evileye's heart sank as she thought it might be Momon. When the dust settled, Evileye's spirits soared as she realized that it was an injured Jaldabaoth. She turned her gaze back to the hole that had just been put in the wall and, sure enough, there was Momon. He looked like someone had thrown him into hell and he had beaten the shit out of every demon that got between him and the exit. He was gravely injured though. His suit had been dented, pierced, scraped, and burnt. His face was had a nasty bruise forming on his jaw and slight trickle of blood flowed out of his mouth. There was a large gash on his face that matched with the mark on his helmet that left him missing an eye. Despite all the injuries he had sustained, he was grinning.

"That was the most fun I've had in ages!" Momon laughed as he flourished his swords with his tattered cape flowing in the wind, ready for round two. It was at that moment Evileye realized that Momon was a battle maniac. "Don't tell me that was all you got Jaldabaoth?" Jaldabaoth stood up, glaring bloody murder at Momon. Now that he was standing, Evileye could see his injuries more clearly. His once fine orange suit was in tatters, there was a noticeable crack in his mask, a deep gash across his back, the claws on his left hand had been shattered, and he had been stabbed through the midsection with what looked like the leg of a table. With a huff he pulled the table leg out from his midsection. Evileye frowned as she noticed an eyeball impaled on one of the claws on his right hand.

"Truly you are a warrior of impressive capabilities that I had never expected from a human," Jaldabaoth sneered with his usual false politeness. "It's obvious that I will not be able to beat you as I am, so perhaps now is a good time for us both to take a step back from the abyss."

"Coward!" Evileye roared. This demon brings so much death and suffering to Re-Estize and now that he's about to be beaten, he wants out? He was the lowest of the low.

"You really should reel in your comrade," Jaldabaoth tutted. "You wouldn't want her to be responsible for all the innocent lives lost, would you?" Evileye's eyes widened. "Yes, throughout this entire battle, my forces have been preparing to strike at the rest of Re-Estize and are awaiting my command. I need but give a single mental command." He grinned evilly at them from under his mask. "You have two options: kill me and let thousands of innocents die or let me go and my forces will withdraw."

"It's not even a choice," Momon grunted with his usual frown now that his battle crazed grin had faded. "Get out of here!" With that, Jaldabaoth gave a final exaggerated bow before taking to the sky.

"Farewell, Dark Knight! Rest assured we will finish this another time!" Jaldabaoth proclaimed.

 _Stereotypical villain exit, nice touch Demiurge._

As if called forth by Jaldabaoth's departure, the smoke filled skies cleared and the sun finally began to rise giving birth to a new day. Evileye, however, was panicking.

"Your eye!" she exclaimed pointing at the empty socket.

"I'm fine," Momon waved her off. Evileye wasn't having it. She examined the wound closely. She could sense the unholy energy emanating from the wound. Even if Lakyus used her best healing magic, his eye would not regenerate. Nabe picked up Momon's helmet and carried it for him as the group walked back to see the rest of the adventurers. After walking up to the top of a collapsed building, they found themselves overlooking all the others who had taken part in the battle. Gazef, Brain, Climb, Lakyus, Tina, Lockmyer, all the other adventurers, and even Gargan and Tia were finally up and about. Everyone was looking at Momon.

"They're waiting for you to lead them in a cry of victory," Evileye whispered.

"This would be so much easier with my helmet on," Momon muttered. "Now they can see how messed up my face is." Evileye gave him a deadpan expression before she let out a small laugh.

"You're the one who led us to victory," she said after quickly recomposed herself. "The honor is yours." Momon nodded at her before he thrust his sword towards the sky and let out an earthshaking war cry. Everyone else copied him and pointed their own weapons to the sky as they let out their own war cries.

The demonic disturbance was finally over.

* * *

 **Bonus Story: Uncle Cocytus**

Lucifer Dracul practically kicked the door down when he entered his room in Nazarick. It was one thing to keep up Momon's friendly persona every time he put on that armor, but dealing with Evileye had made him tense since he couldn't discern her exact intentions. Just as he was about to get into his coffin he found, and he shouldn't have been surprised, Albedo waiting for him. This was the third night in a row she had pulled this.

"My looooove," she cooed as she patted the area next to her. "Come to bed." Lucifer's eye twitched. Every night she tried this he would either make an excuse or slip away. But tonight he just didn't have it in him.

 _You know what? I don't owe that traitor Tabula shit! I don't owe any of them shit! I spent my entire life a virgin. I'm tense, I need to relax, Nazarick will have "guests" tomorrow, and I am NOT spending my entire unlife as a virgin! I made her this way and now I have to, as they say, "take responsibility. I guess I owe her. Doesn't mean I can't enjoy some benfits._

"Very well," he sighed. Albedo's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as she smiled.

"REALLY?" she exclaimed. Lucifer didn't answer her and just got in.

* * *

Demiurge was writing a report on the current makeup of Nazarick's forces while Cocytus was sharpening his swords. Everything was completely quiet. Peaceful. Until an expression of shock crossed over Demiurge's features as he stood up and slammed his fist on the table.

"Cocytus!" he yelled.

"Demiurge. What. Is. Wrong?" Cocytus asked, slightly shaken by Demiurge's sudden change in demeanor.

"My virgin senses are tingling! It's happening!" Demiurge shouted.

"You. Mean." Cocytus didn't have to finish that thought.

"YES!" Demiurge declared. "WE WILL HAVE OUR HEIR!"

"I. WILL. BE. UNCLE. COCYTUS."

* * *

 **Longest chapter I've done yet. Little more than 8.5k.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	20. You Came to the Wrong Tomb Motherfucker

Chapter 19: You Came to the Wrong Tomb Motherfucker

Lucifer Dracul sat on his throne with the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in his hand as he surveyed the scene before him. Armies of Death Knights, Dark Paladins, Skull Knights, Vampire Knights, Dragons, Elves, Demons, Clockwork Soldiers, Nazarick Elder Guarders, and the Floor Guardians were in front of him. All of Nazarick was bowing before him.

"My lord," said Albedo. "Through your careful preparations and flawless planning, Nazarick stands ready to begin world domination."

"My demon hordes hunger for their orders, my lord," Demiurge proclaimed.

"The. Lizardmen. Are. Eager. To. Do. Your. Bidding. Supreme. One," Cocytus said in his usual commanding tone.

"My Clockwork Soldiers are at your disposal, great one," Jigsaw swore.

"Your undead armies are ready, father," Shalltear declared.

"Excellent," Lucifer said with his usual cold smile. "Then we only have one thing left to do. Our agent in the Baharuth Empire, Fluder Paradynes is sending workers to Nazarick. This will allow us to test Nazarick's defenses against what this world would consider a formidable force and trap the Emperor into beginning "negotiations" if you can call it that."

"Narberal Gamma and Pandora's Actor stand ready for this operation, Lord Dracul," Sebas stated. Lucifer's cold smile became an evil grin.

 _One last operation. Then, no more hiding._

* * *

Several teams of workers had gathered at Count Femel's mansion. What Femel didn't realize was that he had been set up as a sacrifice by Fluder for Jircniv. That way, once everything started going wrong, he would take the fall for Jircniv who would try to use the situation to get on Lucifer's good side. All in vain.

The teams gathered were Foresight, Green Leaf, Heavy Masher, and Tenmu. Momon sneered at them from the shadows where his armor allowed to remain unseen. From Foresight there was Hekkeran Termite: a blonde warrior, Imina: a half-elf archer and Hekkeran's lover, Arche Eeb Rile Furt: a small blonde mage who absolutely adored her little sisters, and Roberdyck Goltron: a kindly paladin devoted to doing the right thing. Out of all the worker teams present, they were the only vaguely interesting team. Green Leaf consisted of five members but the only one worth mentioning was Parpatra, an 80 year old combat veteran. The biggest group was Heavy Masher which was made up of fourteen workers. Their leader Greenham, who was wearing armor that reminded Momon of a beetle, spoke in an antiquated style probably to mask his own ignorance. Finally, there was Tenmu led by Erya Uzurth, who was rumored to hail from the Slane Theocracy. The other three members of his team were elven slaves who, by the looks of them, were beaten and raped on an almost daily basis.

These people wouldn't get a shred of sympathy from him. They were going to come into HIS Nazarick and try to take what was HIS. He was tricking them into it of course but all that would earn them would be a quick death if they were lucky. For the time being, he just listened to them talk about strong workers, adamantite adventurers, and just how unbelievable the team "Darkness" was. Momon had never picked the name, but it was just what people had started calling him and Nabe. Ainzach just went along with it. After another few minutes of the workers conversing, a butler who served Count Femel stepped out.

"On behalf of the count, I would like to express his gratitude to those who accepted his request," the butler said with a bow. "There will be two of the count's representatives accompanying you on this trip. Additionally, adventurers will protect the carriages for the duration. Your destination is an unexplored tomb near the borders of the Kingdom. Additional bonuses will be handed out for any valuables recovered. Now, if you would please follow me." Apparently finished saying his piece, the butler motioned for them to follow him as he led them to the carriages that had been requisitioned for this task along with a team of gold plate adventurers known as Screaming Whip. Momon silently followed them from the shadows. The carriages were pulled by massive Sleipnirs, which are essentially enormous eight-legged horses.

"Woah," Hekkeran breathed when he saw the majestic beasts.

"Aren't those things supposed to be really expensive?" Imina asked.

"Thou art correct," Greenham replied.

"Isn't all this a little too pricey for mere gold plates to be guarding?" Uzurth huffed. The adventurer glared at Uzurth and started muttering to themselves.

"They will not be alone on this," the butler spoke up. "We have received aid from someone stronger than all of you put together: the Dark Knight Momon." Hearing his name, Momon decided to interpret that as his cue and stepped out of the shadows, seemingly appearing out of this air. "His teammate Nabe is on her way."

"No, she is here," Momon interjected as Nabe rode up on Hamsuke, who was now equipped with new brown leather armor that had metal spike-like studs.

"Sir," Nabe acknowledge Momon with a nod.

"Nabe and I will handle security and coordinate the gold plate adventurer team," Momon stated. "Is this arrangement is acceptable?" The workers stared at him with wide eyes as they nodded while the gold plate adventurers' eyes were shining like kids who just met their idol. The workers started talking amongst each other.

"That's Momon?"

"He's the guy who beat the Demon King Jaldabaoth!"

"Meh."

"That girl is hot!"

"He saved E-Rantel."

"So cool!"

"Thank you for saying such things," Momon said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But I must ask, why did you decide to take this request?" The workers looked at one another with raised eyebrows before looking back over at Momon.

"Because of the money, obviously," Hekkeran said with a shrug as the other workers nodded their heads in agreement.

"You would risk your lives for this?" Momon asked.

"That's right. The reward was enough to entice us all," Greenham said. "That's not even including the bonuses if we discover additional treasures."

"Very well," Momon sighed. He had given them their chance but now they had sealed their fate. "We should leave immediately."

* * *

Corvo was heading back to the Slane Theocracy after laying a trail of breadcrumbs for the Theocracy to follow should they try to investigate where he got his information. Currently he was leaving crossing the borders of the Baharuth Empire after speaking with Fluder Paradyne. However. He was being followed everywhere he went. Not by assassins and not by spies. No, those he could kill in his sleep. What was following him was much more troublesome.

"Where are we going to next, Corvo?" Jessamine asked, as happy as ever. She was jogging just behind him with a large travel pack strapped to her. Her smile and lighthearted nature contrasted heavily with Corvo's scowl and overall brooding. After he had left the Theocracy, it had only taken her two days to track him down in E-Rantel and she's been following him aroud ever since.

"We're going back to the Theocracy. You need to stop following me," Corvo sighed.

"Aw, but I could get attacked by bandits out here," she pouted.

"Not my problem," Corvo said grumpily.

"PSSSHH! We both know you would come running if someone put so much as a finger on me," she said with a confident smile. Corvo simply growled in response, but knew she was right. If someone laid a hand on her he would cut off said hand and put it where their brain used to be. Dammit this woman knew him too well. "Hey look! There's some carriages coming!" she exclaimed as she pointed at three carriages coming in this direction. Corvo's eyes widened as he saw one of the men guarding the carriages. Even in that armor, there was no way he wouldn't recognize his creator. He was about to bow but noticed the "company" his master was keeping. They were all insects, except for Nabe who nodded to him in recognition.

"Sir, Momon!" he called out. "Might we acquire a lift?" Momon nodded to them, instantly recognizing Corvo. As the caravan started moving again, Corvo sat next to his master who was handling the Sleipnir that was pulling his carriage. Nabe ended up with Jessamine who was freaking out about how fluffy Hamsuke was and was talking Nabe's ear off. Nabe looked like she was contemplating suicide.

"How have our operations in the Theocracy been proceeding?" Momon asked.

"We are ready to unleash the rat plague at your command," Corvo reported. "Additionally, Oras Fries of the Black Scripture has been revived but is still being brought up to full strength. Kaire's injury has not been sanctified yet so she remains in critical condition and the same problem is preventing Cedran from being revived. Ruvik has sworn to avenge Avenir no matter the cost."

"He's in for a surprise," Momon said with an evil grin. "As long as they are incapable of using [Downfall of Castle and Country] we maintain our ability to operate without fear of mind control and take more public action. Once you return to the Theocracy, you are to unleash the rat plague as soon as possible. Ruvik will be dealt with in time." Once they were sure that nobody was watching and Jessamine had fallen asleep on top of Hamsuke, Corvo bowed to his master quickly before grabbing Jessamine and her things gently, ensuring she didn't wake up.

"I live to serve, Lord Dracul," Corvo said solemnly before teleporting away with the snoozing woman draped over his shoulder who was mumbling something about onions in her sleep.

* * *

The floating city Eryuentiu of the Eight Greed Kings. Although this massive structure has been abandoned, it continues to float because the Greed Kings' guild weapon still slumbers within its confines, protected by a powerful entity of legend: The Platinum Dragon Lord. He was so bored. You'd think that guarding an ancient city of evil would be exciting but no. Nothing ever happened. Except for whenever she showed up. He smelled her before he saw her and grinned when she came into his field of vision.

"Rigrit," he called out in a voice befitting a powerful dragon such as himself. "What brings you here?" The old woman smiled at him.

"Does an old woman need a reason to see her good friend?" she asked with a smirk.

"No, but I can tell that something important must be happening," the Platinum Dragon Lord said. A concerned expression made its way onto Rigrit's expression.

"You probably haven't noticed since you're always up in this floating monstrosity, but things are changing down on the surface," Rigrit sighed. "The balance of power is shifting, heroes and villains have begun to battle, and there are whispers of powerful entities stepping out of the darkness. It's happening just like last time. What makes this time special is that whoever this being is, they haven't chosen a side and instead seem to have made their own faction separate from the rest of existence. They're playing the long game but we have no idea what it is they want." The Platinum Dragon Lord furrowed its scaly eyebrows.

"Should we call on the others?" he asked.

"No, we don't know anything for certain," Rigrit sighed. "Evileye is cleaning up in Re-Estize after the demon attack so she couldn't come anyway and Zur wouldn't help. He never got over how the humans treated him and Evileye."

"So what shall we do?" The Platinum Dragon Lord frowned.

"For the time being, we should just keep doing what we've been doing," Rigrit responded. "We don't really know what is happening, so it would be best if we just keep our eyes open for now."

* * *

Camp was set up as quickly as possible in the woods near the tomb. The workers' and adventurers' tents were all congregated around a campfire while Momon and Nabe had set up farther away from the others. Some of the workers and adventurers snickered about them having dirty nightly activities while others stayed professional.

"Check out those tombstones," Hekkeran said as he gazed at the ruins from the trees.

"This place looks like something that is from about 600 years ago," Arche breathed. "Imagine the kinds of secrets that could be buried here."

"The possibility of uncovering valuables is extremely high in a place like this," Roberdyck said as he too was mesmerized by the ruins.

"This is going to be lucrative, no doubt," Imina affirmed. "If only we could kill Uzurth off while we're down there." The others sighed, well aware of her hatred for the foul man.

"But then again, thou may not have to," Greenham spoke up as he approached the group. "The possibility that this tomb is under the control of something powerful is high." The others glanced at the graveyard again and studied the trimmed grass, well maintained statues, and gloomy trees that sprung up wherever they pleased. The gravestones were not set orderly but were scattered like the teeth of an ugly witch contrasting heavily with the cleanliness of the place. The thing that scared them the most though was the fear of the unknown. Despite all of their efforts to research this area, there was absolutely no information on it. It was unnatural and eerie.

"C'mon guys, let's get back to the camp. It's almost our turn for guard duty," Hekkeran said as they turned back. Arche continued to stare at it a little longer. It's too bad she didn't know the expression "When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you." For a moment, just a brief moment, Arche thought she saw a pair of soulless red eyes glaring at her from the mausoleum. But when she blinked, they were gone. With a shrug, she turned around and ran to catch up with her teammates. A few hours passed until it was time to move into the ruins. The exploration of the large tomb had begun. Nabe scowled at them all as she watched them leave. She swiftly walked back to her and Momon's tent. Sitting within the tent was Momon with his helmet off. Ever since the demonic disturbance had ended, the way his face looked when [Mortal's Mask] was applied had been altered. There was now a scar across one of Momon's eyes with a leather eyepatch covering the eye Jaldabaoth had scratched out.

"They're on the move sir," Nabe reported.

"Excellent," Momon said as he stood up. "Pandora's Actor will be here to take my place soon, I will go meet with Albedo."

"Yes, my lord," Nabe said with a bow as her master teleported away.

When Momon reappeared in Nazarick's throne room, he immediately dispelled his [Perfect Warrior] and [Mortal's Mask] causing his armor to be replaced by his usual attire as his face returned to normal and the eyepatch disappeared. Lucifer Dracul looked up to see Albedo bow to him as he approached the throne.

"Nazarick stands ready to repel the scum that now infects your home, my love," Albedo said smiling more than usual as Lucifer sat on his throne.

 _She's been like this ever since that night. Maybe I fucked up. Totally worth it though! I'M NOT A VIRGIN ANYMORE!_

"[Crystal Monitor]," Lucifer said with a wave of his hand, creating four mirror-like monitors. Each one gave him a continuous feed of the workers that had entered Nazarick. He stared at them with hate in his eyes as they tracked their muddy boots through Nazarick gawking at its wonders and rubbing their grubby little hands greedily whenever they found a small amount of treasure that was left to lure them in. The only one who was particularly intelligent was Arche who was excited by the money but equally fascinated by the architecture and lore of Nazarick.

"Typical humans," Lucifer scoffed. "At the mere scent of money they charge into a situation where they know absolutely nothing like a bunch of overexcited children. Humans really are predictable."

 _To think I used to be one of those lower life forms. Dammit now Narberal has me saying it!_

"Albedo, set the defenses to Alert-1. If that doesn't repel the invaders then we will raise it to Alert-2. I don't want any chance of Ariande activating."

"Yes, my love," Albedo replied.

"Let the games begin," Lucifer said with an evil grin.

"Leave no survivors."

* * *

"Elder, why did we decide to stay on the surface when most of the loot is likely to be deeper inside the tomb?" one of Parpatra's teammates spoke up.

"There is too little information to go running in blindly," Parpatra said with a cold look in his eyes. "The other workers will be our canaries. I'm more willing to risk their lives than I am willing to risk you all."

"Quite reasonable. Unexpected from an interloping wanker." a man with a British accent called out from behind them. Parapatra's team spun around to see someone or something dressed in a plague doctor's outfit staring down at them from behind his beaklike mask. Next to him were four tall skinny….. things. Each one of them was made out of metal, had four arms that ended in blades, and had many moving gears visible in the gaps of their armor plating, no doubt left there intentionally to allow for more flexibility. They reminded the workers of golems, but they were too thin and the insides that were visible reminded them of the inside of a clock. "Ah, how rude of me I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Professor Hannibal Mengele Lector, but everyone just calls me Jigsaw."

"Why is being reasonable unexpected?" Paraptra asked, on guard against the man and those things he had never seen before.

"Because you are invading the home of the God of Life and Death, Lucifer Dracul," Jigsaw said as he tilted his head. "You'd have to be absolutely bloody MAD to do something like that and believe me: I know a thing or two about madness."

"If we're intruding we can leave peacefully," another one of Parpatra's teammates spoke up.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that. I've been dying for the chance to test my Clockwork Soldiers in real combat. The master has high expectations after all. Besides, I look forward to the experiments I could conduct on you. For example: I am currently calculating the average amount of pain a human can endure before he dies, or I could surgically graft you to each other and observe what changes occur to you psychologically as well biologically." Jigsaw told these men the horrible things he was wanted to do to them as if he was talking about what he wanted for lunch. "But alas, work comes first. Clockwork Soldiers, kill them." The Clockwork Soldiers stomped toward their targets. As they got into about five feet of them, two of the mechanical monsters pounced with surprising speed. One of the workers rolled out of the way to dodge, and the Clockwork Soldier's blades almost hit the ground but with an inhumanly fast reaction to the fact that its blades wouldn't meet the target, it changed mid motion from a downward slice to a side slash with its body rotating quickly giving its now spinning blades the appearance of highly lethal fan blades. The worker didn't stand a chance and was shredded by the the blades as they carved through him. The other worker who was pounced on raised his sword to block the blow but the pure strength behind that strike forced his sword out of the way and carved through him like butter.

"This must be this tomb's ultimate strength!" Parpatra declared. "If we beat them we're home free!" Jigsaw started laughing manically.

"You humans! Oh, you make my sides hurt!" Jigsaw laughed as the workers stared at him. "Did you not hear me? This is a field test! We have armies of the undead, assassins who would've killed you the moment you walked in if we allowed it, and things beyond your primitive imagination. The Floor Guardians make all of this look like mere toys. That's not even including the master." Parpatra was hit with the sinking realization that not only was he going to die here, but these people, whoever they were, would not be satisfied just living in this tomb. They would go on the march and tear down everything Parpatra had grown up knowing. That was the last thought he had before the blades of the Clockwork Soldiers came at him and his remaining friends, carving through armor and bone alike. The worker team Greenleaf was no more.

* * *

"Excellent," Lucifer smirked as he watched Parpatra's head roll across the floor via [Crystal Monitor]. "I should reward Jigsaw for his outstanding work on the Clockwork Soldiers."

"I believe he will be jubilant to hear you praise his work, my lord," Albedo said. "Any of your servants would-urk-gulp." Albedo suddenly looked panicked and rushed out of the throne room just as Demiurge entered. Demiurge shot a questioning glance at Albedo as she raced past him but simply shrugged before he approached the throne and bowed to his master.

"Rise, Demiurge," Lucifer said with a wave of his hand.

"My lord, I have completed my report on Nazarick's military assets just as you requested," Demiurge stated as he stood up. "Additionally, the human with the elf slaves is approaching the Lizardmen's training ground. Who shall I have dispatch them?"

"Send Avenir to kill the human but leave it up to her to decide the fate of the elves," Lucifer said as he dispelled the [Crystal Monitor] that had been watching Greenleaf. "I'm curious to see what she will do with them."

"Very well, my lord," Demiurge said as an evil grin came to his face. "Forgive me if this is rude of me to ask, but might I watch the humans with you until Albedo returns?"

"Absolutely," Lucifer replied. "It looks like another group is about to meet with an unfortunate turn of events."

* * *

Greenham roared as he stomped on the skull of a Skeleton that had grabbed him by the leg. He and the rest of his team continued to flee deeper into the tomb as they were chased by a mob of the dead. As they continued to run they found themselves in a room with even more undead creatures. They weren't high level and were very weak, but because of the sheer number of skeletons Heavy Masher had to stay on their toes or they would be swarmed. The cleric holding a holy symbol began an exorcism.

"My lord, the god of earth, please repel the evil ones!" the cleric chanted. A shockwave of holy energy reduced the number of undead drastically, creating an opening for them to escape through.

"Let's go!" Greenham shouted as he led the charge through the horde. As he and his fellow warrior smashed and slashed the skeletons in their path, the rest of the team followed behind. As they came to the center of the room, the floor underneath their feet vanished and they fell into a chamber shaped like an upside down pyramid with sixteen elevated tunnels not to mention it had walls having a steep slope that would cause anything that slipped to fall towards the center, which was the unfortunate fate of one of Greenham's comrades as he had slipped, fallen, and ended up crushed by the remaining undead that had fallen in with them. But it got worse, much worse. Creatures that looked like bloated corpses began to jump out of the tunnels and when they hit the ground they would explode in a mass of negative energy which damaged the living and healed the undead.

"Plague Bombers!" the rogue of Heavy Masher yelled. "Let's get through that door!"

"No!" Greenham interjected. "We need to climb back out the way we fell in!" With that, they fanatically began climbing out of the pure evil trap by using a [Web Ladder]. Once they got their feet on solid ground, they dropped to the ground panting. "Who art the devil who would design such a place? Thou must be sadistic as hell!"

"Greenham, why couldn't we go through the door?" the cleric asked in between pants. Greenham responded by grabbing one of the rusted weapons used by the Skeletons and threw it at the door. When the sword got close, the door opened its jaws revealing itself to be a monster that looked like a door and started chewing on it.

"A trap inside a trap!" another team member exclaimed. "That's just evil!"

"Quiet!" Greenham whispered harshly. "Someone is coming." That's when they heard it. Metal boots came clacking towards them. From out of the shadows the figure of a behemoth of a man emerged. He black plated full body armor and wore an open red robe over top of that. His black angular helmet had two small decorative bat wings on the sides and red eyes glared at them from his narrow slit of a visor. This was a Dark Paladin, a medium level vampire paladin. It was summoned through the spell [Create Dark Paladin] and was slightly stronger and more intelligent than a Death Knight but cost more mana to create. Whereas a normal paladin would practice holy magic, the Dark Paladin devoted itself to the unholy. Recognizing this was not your average undead creature, Greenham bowed to it. "I presume thou art the master of this tomb? If I may, is there any way I may convince thee too-"

"Foolish mortal," a deep voice interrupted from the helmet. "I am not worthy to rule this tomb. Only the father of all vampires, Lucifer Dracul is worthy of ruling Nazarick." He boomed as he drew a large black broadsword. "You mortals exist because he ALLOWS it and you will DIE because he DEMANDS it!" Greenham and his team turned to run only to find seven Elder Liches approaching from that direction. If these weren't the masters of this tomb, then what being could possibly be powerful enough to rule over monsters like these? "Die! For the glory of Father Blood! The God of Life and Death!" Those were the last words the members of Heavy Masher ever heard.

* * *

"Rather anticlimactic wouldn't you agree my lord?" Demiurge asked as he chewed on another mouthful of popcorn.

"Indeed," Lucifer said as he took a sip from his [Goblet of the Vampire King] and closed yet another [Crystal Monitor]. "What is keeping Albedo?"

"It's possible she didn't make it in time, ended up vomiting on her dress, and went to go change," Demiurge replied. Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows. The rings he had given the Guardians negated things like hunger, tiredness, and diseases. So how was Albedo sick?

"Why is she throwing up?" Lucifer asked, for once unaware of the situation.

"Ah, yes. I forgot you and Narberal weren't here when Albedo used that item Lord Peroroncino left behind. A "pregnancy test" I believe is what it's called," Demiurge smirked. "You will pleased to know that your efforts to create an heir with Albedo have borne fruit. Congratulations."

 _WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT THEEEEEEEEEEE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!? I DON'T WANT TO BE A DAD! Vampire + Succubus = Total cluster fuck! Who knows what kind of abomination I've created? Then again who I am to talk about abominations? I'm a fucking vampire! I can't think about this now. Not while these humans are still running around Nazarick! Focus now, freak out later. Goddamn Peroroncino._

"I see," Lucifer said completely calm. "We have much to look forward to."

"Indeed," Demiurge nodded enthusiastically before looking back up at one of the [Crystal Monitor]s. "Ah! There's Avenir. Looks like she's ready to attack Tenmu."

* * *

Avenir was panicking on the inside. Her master wanted her to deal with this human, that was clear enough. But when Demiurge said that the master left the fate of the elven slaves he had brought with him up to her, she freaked out. Was this some kind of test? Ruvik's life could be on the line if she made a bad call.

"Hey hot stuff!" an arrogant voice called out. Avenir turned to see a heavily armored man followed by three elven slaves waving to her. This was clearly the man she had been sent to kill and she already disliked him. "What's a cutie like you doing in a nasty tomb like this?" he asked, clearly thinking he was pretty slick.

"I'm here to kill you," Avenir stated bluntly as she gathered magical energy in her left hand and unsheathed a dagger with her right. Uzurth glared at her and charged. He was skilled among humans there was no doubt. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't human. Not anymore. Avenir wasn't like most in Nazarick and preferred ending the fight efficiently as opposed to drawing it out and crushing their spirit. This trait had only amplified after she heard what happened with Shalltear and it only happened because she relished in the killing. Ending the fight as quick as possible drastically reduced the chances of such a mistake happening and for Avenir a single mistake might be all it took for Lord Dracul to change his mind when it came to sparing Ruvik's life. The moment Uzurth swung his sword at Avenir, she ducked under the blade with a quick motion she couldn't do while she was human and stabbed the bastard in the eye with her dagger. The blade pierced his brain and he died instantly.

"How?" was the last word he ever spoke. Avenir turned to look at the elves who were trembling with fear. She didn't hate elves, they reminded her of herself. She ended up working for the Theocracy because they had found out about her ability and tore her away from her mother who she never saw again. The only reason she was sane was because Ruvik was already there when she had been brought to the church. He had been taken away the moment he was born because of his heritage as a God-Kin. He was the only thing that didn't make her lose her mind. That is also why she never told him how she felt. If they ever had kids they would've been taken away by the Theocracy because of Ruvik's heritage.

"Ah! Stop thinking about that!" she muttered to herself when a blush worked its way onto her face at the thought of children.

 _How does Lord Dracul stay so calm when he has his own on the way!? It's not fair!_

She turned back to look at the elves who were still staring at her.

 _I can't kill them. We've all been wronged by the Theocracy and they certainly had it worse._

And with that she walked away, leaving the elves to start kicking the crap out of Uzurth's corpse.

* * *

"Good move," Lucifer commented as he stood up from his throne.

"My lord?" Demiurge asked.

"Her decision has given me a better grasp of who she is," Lucifer replied as he started walking out of the throne room. "By killing Uzurth and letting the elves live, she has become their liberator as well as revealed that little disease called a conscience she has. She will serve me well in public affairs, but isn't suited for dirty work in the shadows."

"I see," Demiurge smirked as he followed his master. "By giving her the option you have found what she was best suited for and what matters we should distance her from."

"Correct," Lucifer said when he turned his head to pierce Demiurge with his soulless eye. "When we begin to take over the world we will need to make ourselves out to be the hero in every situation. A civilian population will be much more content with a government that they believe has the best of intentions at heart than the civilian population of a warmonger who believes that they're living in a society of war and oppression. As our civilization evolves we will have very few parties that are unhappy with our past actions and history will remember us as heroes who brought peace and prosperity to a very nasty world."

"I see," Demiurge marveled. "But might I ask why we're heading to the Sixth Floor?"

"Yes my love, why are we going to the Sixth Floor?" asked Albedo who had appeared from out of nowhere.

"The final group of workers are heading there," Lucifer replied, masking his surprise at Albedo's sudden arrival. "I believe they've earned the right to meet me themselves."

* * *

The members of Foresight found themselves teleported in an area that followed an architectural design completely unlike the parts of the tomb they had seen so far. They were in a wide corridor with a high ceiling. There was no sound except for the crackling of torches.

"A-are we safe?" Arche stuttered.

"I think so," Hekkeran responded as he panted. Imina straightened up and looked around, still breathing heavily.

"I don't know where the hell we are," she said. "But the vibe here is completely different from what we've experienced so far."

"This place is like the Empire's arena," Arche commented.

"She's right," Roberdyck agreed as he looked around.

"What we just went through was a long range teleportation trap," Arche informed the others. "Long range teleportation like that is 5th-Tier Magic, but using it as a trap is only ever heard of in legends. Whoever is in charge of this place must have unimaginable skill in magic. We should turn around and get away from the arena."

"That would be quite impossible," a new voice boomed. The members of Foresight jumped and turned to see a Dark Paladin and two Vampire Knights blocking the other path. Vampire Knights were weaker than Death Knights but were much more nimble and cost less mana to create. They were thin creatures wearing triangular helmets that completely covered their faces and while they had black armor covering their right arms and shoulders, their left arm and chest were completely exposed apart from a blood red toga that didn't really cover any of their chest revealing pale gray skin covered in black veins. Their left arms were more like bat wings than actual arms and their legs were covered by the lower part of the toga. One of them was holding an axe and the other held a mace.

"Yes," one of the Vampire Knights hissed. "The master has come to greet you and it would rude if worms like you didn't accept his invitation." Deciding it was best not to fuck with the hulking Dark Paladin, they turned around and entered the coliseum. There were countless monsters in the stands. Golems, skeletons, vampires, demons, zombies, elves, goblins, ogres, werewolves, and creatures they had never seen before.

"Outside?" Imina asked. Unsure what she was talking about, the others looked up and, sure enough, there was the night sky.

"Yo!" a child's voice called out in and amplified voice. They turned to see a young dark elf waving at them from a podium. Imina gasped when she noticed Aura's heterochromatic eyes. "The challengers have arrived! Before us stands four reckless fools who dared to attack the Great Tomb of Nazarick! Facing them is our master! The Father of all Vampires! The God of Life and Death! Lucifer Dracul!" As those final words left her mouth, a swarm of bats appeared from out of nowhere and began converging on a single point, colliding together until they became a single, tall man. They shivered as the soulless eyes of Lucifer Dracul glared at them but his cold smile remained the same. The monsters in the stands started shouting and cheering. It was a reception befitting a king. After a few moments, Lucifer waved his hand as if he was wiping something away and the arena fell silent. Hekkeran immediately bowed before Lucifer since Imina was still staring at Aura, Roberdyck, was staring fearfully at the unholy presence that accompanied Lucifer, and Arche had turned pale at the implications of the titles: "Father of all Vampires" and "The God of Life and Death".

"I would like to apologize Mr. Dracul…" he began.

"LORD Dracul to you, human," Lucifer interrupted.

"Lord Dracul," Hekkeran corrected. "We would like to sincerely apologize for entering your home without permission. If you can find it in your heart to forgive us…."

"I don't have a heart," Lucifer stated coldly. Hekkeran was sweating buckets by this point.

"…. We will gladly offer appropriate compensation to atone for our transgressions." Lucifer stared at them for a few moments before letting out a sigh.

"Is that how things are done where you are from?" he asked coldly. "Someone sends a bunch of insignificant lower life forms into your home and you let them out unscathed?"

"Humans aren't lower life forms!" Roberdyck shouted.

"They are," Lucifer sneered. "I have lived longer than your kind has even existed, do not claim to understand that which you cannot comprehend," he lied. "As for your offer of compensation, you would be foolish to think that money can make this problem go away. I have plenty. I am not unreasonable so I will give you a chance: What are you willing to do in order to not have me snuff out your miserable existence?"

"Anything," Imina choked out as she bowed next to Hekkeran. Lucifer grinned as he heard one of his favorite words.

"What about the rest of you?" he asked as his piercing gaze swept over each of them.

"Anything," the rest of them said as they bowed, except for Hekkeran who was already bowing.

 _I have come to thoroughly enjoy the sight of humans on their knees._

"Very well," Lucifer said as he began walking towards them. "I intend to change everything about the world you know. From what is acceptable to the god you worship." He leaned over them and gave them a lovely view of his fangs as he grinned. "I will be the ONLY god ANYONE worships! So I will need churches and churches need priests to teach their god's doctrine. You will be my priests, and from now on, I will be your god!"

"Never!" Roberdyck cried as he rose to his feet. "My god's love is boundless and I will never betray what I believe in! He is holy and you are a mockery of all that is just and-"

"[Grasp Heart]," Lucifer said as, without even looking at Roberdyck, he raised his hand towards him and clenched his fist. Roberdyck coughed out blood as death took him and his corpse hit the floor. **"What of the rest of you?"** he asked in his true, terrifying voice.

"W-w-we will obey," Arche stuttered, looking like she was going to throw up.

"Yes!" Hekkeran cried as he and Imina held hands as if it was the last time they would ever be able to feel each other's warmth again, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Lucifer.

 **"** **And your woman?"** Lucifer asked as Hekkeran and Imina stiffened, disturbed how easily he had figured them out.

"O-of course my lord," she answered hastily.

 **"** **Gooooooood."**

* * *

Jircniv's eyes widened when he heard the report. Multiple groups of skilled workers had entered, but none had come back out. It seemed Lucifer Dracul had a bad personality.

"None of this will be traced back to us, correct?" he asked Fluder, who was sitting at the other end of the table where several officials were also seated.

"Unlikely," Fluder replied. "The workers only knew that they were working for Count Femel. We were not mentioned. The count is extremely foolish however. If he had hired workers from E-Rantel we wouldn't be indicated at all," Fluder said while hiding that he was responsible for picking out those teams.

"It doesn't matter," Jircniv said with a smirk. "The Kingdom's Adventurer's Guild will hear about this and will investigate Lucifer's dwelling where he will no doubt kill anyone who enters. Once the Adventurer's Guild discovers their people have been killed they will retaliate against him, sowing discord between him and the Kingdom while driving him towards our side. The count has been taken care of, yes?"

"Of course your majesty," one of the officials replied. "We just need to manage-" He was interrupted as the ground shook and a loud crashing sound like an explosion. The ground shook but it wasn't like an earthquake, it was more like a shockwave from an impact of incredible force.

"What was that!?" Jircniv cried out as one of his guards opened a door and stuck his head out to take a peek.

"Your majesty," he said clearly shaken. "You may want to take a look at this". Jircniv marched over and pushed the doors open. He looked up and saw a massive hole in his ceiling and through the hole he could see dozens of dragons flying about, breathing fire angrily. But of course, the most eye-catching thing was the fact that there was now a dragon IN THE MIDDLE OF THE IMPERIAL FUCKING PALACE. The final thing Jircniv noticed was the two dark elf children on the dragon's back.

"Can you bitches hear me!?" Aura yelled out in a magically amplified voice.

"S-sis, language," Mare muttered.

"I am a servant of Lucifer Dracul, forever may he reign!" Aura proclaimed, ignoring her brother. "The Emperor of this pathetic little country sent a bunch of disrespectful idiots into the Great Tomb of Nazarick: our lord's home! Lord Dracul is most displeased and if your emperor doesn't apologize we will burn your country to the ground and eat your babies!"

"W-w-we won't actually eat your babies," Mare spoke up. "But the burning part is right." Jircniv's eyes narrowed. How had they figured it out? He didn't have time to think about such matters as Mare lifted up his staff and earthquakes began to shake all of Arwintar. Cracks appeared in the ground, swallowing up hundreds of the Imperial Knights and, worst of all, one of the Four Knights, the "Immovable" Nazami Enec, killing them all.

"What do we do your majesty?" one of Jircniv's servants cried out. Jircniv ignored them and strode forward confidently.

"I am Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix! I will be with you in a moment, honored emissaries!" he declared before turning back to his servants. "Prepare the finest welcome possible for our "guests" quickly!" As his servants began to carry out their tasks, Jircniv glared back at the dark elves.

 _Dammit. I underestimated them. However, if these are just subordinates how can I not be able to handle them? I cannot retreat here! If they want to negotiate then we will have a war of words! Lucifer Dracul, whatever you're planning, I will crush your ambitions here!_

* * *

 **I had to fill in for someone at work... again. You've probably noticed this, but the fan has been and it had been hit by shit.**

 **BTW because I got a lot of questions about this, the player who knows Momonga is NOT an OC and is in the actual Overlord LN. It will also NOT be a happy reunion. PvP is gonna happen.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	21. The Immortal Emperor

Chapter 20: The Immortal Emperor

Jircniv felt that his performance had been flawless. Masking hidden intentions behind a welcoming face was instrumental in his position. He was attempting to discern the intentions of his opponents as usual. The facts that made this occurrence special were the fact that there dragons flying all over the capitol city of Arwintar and that two dark elf children had caused an earthquake that claimed 117 lives. His opponents, the dark elves, didn't give much away. It was strange for children to be used as ambassadors. Ambassadors represented their country and making a poor impression in an undignified manner was a detriment. Lucifer Dracul, despite knowing this, had sent these children anyway. Why?

 _The bastard probably picked them for their meek appearance to increase the psychological affect felt after that display of overwhelming force. The heavy contrast is supposed to destabilize me. But wouldn't the dragons override such meekness? Dammit, I'm fumbling in the dark here! First priority should be gathering information from these elves. Even so, how did Lucifer trace the workers back to me? Was this attack sanctioned by their master or are they just looking to pick a fight? Lucifer is confident enough to attack the Empire and conquer it with might and fear, a different tactic will have to be used with him._

"Honored ambassadors," Jircniv said smoothly, although he was sorely tempted to use his Medallion of Mental Protection. "I can see you have had a tiring journey to grace us with you presence. Would you like some refreshments?" The moment he said that, several maids entered with drinks on silver platters emerged from the other rooms and began offering drinks. "Please help yourselves." Aura picked up on of the glasses, took a sip, and frowned.

"This is garbage," Aura said coldly as she tossed the glass behind her back which shattered all over the floor. Jircniv was shocked. No one had ever dared to say such a thing in front of him.

 _Rude little rat. I'll speak with your master about this and make this elf pay for saying such things!_

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Jircniv said pleasantly, hiding his true feelings. "But, in reference to what you said, Lord Dracul is displeased and will destroy this country unless he is appeased. I assume that I, as the presumed offender, will be making my way to Nazarick?"

"Obviously," Aura said with glare.

"Then, am I right to assume that the esteemed Lord Dracul ordered you to do this? And on a dragon at that?" Jircniv inquired.

"Y-yes," Mare answered.

"I see," Jircniv mused.

 _Who is this "Lord Dracul"? Elves? Dragons? There needs to be a common factor between them. The enemy has a way of gaining intelligence from within the Empire, but how? Spies? If so how many and how high up the chain of command do they go? Clearly Lucifer Dracul is a man who carefully analyzes information and is quite cunning._

"Hey! Are you coming or not? If not we'll begin burning down this palace!" Aura shouted.

"Of course I will come to Nazarick," Jircniv said quickly. "Although I have no recollection of sending anyone into Lord Dracul's home, but it is possible one of my subordinates may have acted rashly, in which case I am deeply sorry for the fool's actions."

"Alright then," Aura said with a smirk. "Get on. Let's go!"

"What? Now?" Jircniv asked, surprised by the suddenness. "I can't go just now, I am the ruler of this country and simply cannot leave without making necessary arrangements. I request that I be allowed a few days to get affairs in order and preparations to meet his lordship. Ten days should suffice."

"Ten? That's too damn long!" Aura proclaimed.

"But within the ten days, surely I could find appropriate compensation for your master," Jircniv interjected. "A thoughtless offering would be insulting to Lord Dracul. Additionally, I will need time to scour the Empire for the parties responsible for this mishap." Aura and Mare looked at each other as if they were silently discussing something.

 _So, at the mention of compensating Lord Dracul, they halted their hostility. They must be very devoted to their master. I should be able to buy some time with this._

But before Jircniv could open his mouth, Aura spoke up again.

"Just kidding! Lord Dracul told me to tell you to come over now," Aura said with a grin. "He also said that "now" is defined as however long you need!" Jircniv resisted the urge to growl. As much as he wanted to spit on Lucifer Dracul, he also felt admiration for such an intelligent opponent.

 _So he wanted to see how I would react to "now"? Well played Lucifer Dracul, you must be quite the sage to have been able to foresee how this incident would play out._

"Well? Don't you have something to say?" Aura demanded.

"Forgive me, I was contemplating what I could offer if I didn't have enough time," Jircniv replied masking his growing distaste as he thought about Lucifer Dracul. "With all the necessary preparations considered, I should be able to arrive at Nazarik in approximately five days."

"Good, we shall inform Lord Dracul," Aura said before a sadistic grin creeped onto her face. ""Have fun digging the bodies out of the ground!" And with that, the elf children took off on their dragon.

"Your majesty?" one of the maids called, still shaken by what transpired. Jircniv let out a sigh before he turned back to the officials who were all staring at him.

"Make the appropriate preparations," Jircniv said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Lucifer Dracul WILL serve the Baharuth Empire."

* * *

Six magnificent carriages raced through the rough plains near the Great Forest of Tob closely guarded by Imperial Knights. It had been five days since the events at the Imperial Palace and it was time to meet Lucifer Dracul. In one of the carriages, several maidens had been gathered to be offered as a gift to this mysterious magic caster in order to try to seduce him and tie him to the Empire. Emperor Jircniv, Fluder Paradyne, Roune Varmilinen: Jircniv's secretary, and one of the Four Knights, Baziwood Peshmel, were inside the largest carriage. Jircniv had been discussing the situation in the Draconic Kingdom with Roune when someone opened the carriage door and stepped in. She was a woman with blonde hair that covered one of her eyes and armed with a lance. This was Leinas Rockbruise, another one of the Four Knights, but also the most disloyal.

"Your majesty, the people we sent ahead have [Message]d us," she announced in a glum voice. "Our outriders have made it to Nazarick's perimeter wall and have been instructed by the maids to inform us that they will not open the gates until your arrival."

"Perimeter Wall? Maids? Gates? None of this was in the reports we received concerning the appearance of Nazarick," Jircniv muttered. "I can't figure it out. The forest isn't a place for humans to be dwelling and there's no history on this place either. Tell our people to be careful."

"Yes, your majesty," Leinas replied before adding. "Should the worst come to pass, will you please allow me to take my own survival as my priority?" Baziwood frowned while Jircniv rolled his eyes, completely aware that Leinas was only loyal to one person: hersef.

"Very well, Leinas," Jircniv replied with a wave of his hand. "I doubt Lucifer Dracul would try anything anyway, not with so many soldiers accompanying us. How long until we reach Nazarick anyway?"

"We should be there in approximately one hour, you majesty," Roune replied.

"Good. Now let's see what Lucifer Dracul is trying to sell us," Jircniv smirked.

* * *

An hour later, the carriages had arrived at the large perimeter walls around Nazarick. Lucifer had been busy. They had used the metal and lumber they gathered from Tob to construct a massive metal defensive wall around Nazarick's perimeter and the hills that once hid Nazarick from the rest of the world had been removed. Jircniv could only just stare at the strange wall that was now before him. Countries building walls out stone wasn't too uncommon but nobody had ever built a wall out of pure metal. The only part of it that wasn't a metal wall was a lattice metal gate covered in sharp metal spikes put in a thorn-like design. Patrolling around the wall were things neither Jircniv or Fluder had ever seen. Tall, thin, mechanical beings with four bladed arms patrolled the perimeter in groups of six. A beautiful maid with red hair approached Jircniv's carriage.

 _She's more beautiful that the "Golden Princess" Renner! Maybe I should add her to my harem?_

"Good morning, fair maiden," Jircniv said as he brushed his hand through his hair. "Would you perhaps be a servant of Lord Lucifer Dracul sent here to assist us? I must thank him for allowing such a gorgeous woman to pass into our company." The maid gave him a look that said: Whatever fuckboy. "Excuse me miss but what are those creatures you have patrolling your walls?"

"They are called Clockwork Soldiers," Lupusregina said with a grin. "Their design is a Nazarick secret."

"You can't even tell me?" Jircniv asked, giving Yuri bedroom eyes.

"Nope," Lupusregina chirped happily before turning away from him. "The emperor has arrived! Open the gate!" On her order, the massive lattice gate rose allowing the carriages to pass underneath. "Disgusting human," she grimaced when Jircniv was out earshot. Jircniv couldn't help but stare at the entrance to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. It was every bit as foreboding as he had heard. As Jircniv stepped out of the carriage, he made sure his medallion of mental protection was equipped and that he had his Imperial Scepter. Baziwood stepped out with him as it was his duty to protect the emperor.

"Emperor Jircniv?" another maid called to him. "My name is Yuri Alpha. I am here to see to it that you and your people are taken care of."

"Such a beautiful woman! I really must thank Lord Dracul for allowing our paths to cross," Jircniv said smoothly, although he couldn't help but notice the cold gaze she gave him.

 _Just like the other maid. I wanted to leave a good impression but it looks like that won't be happening. I was sure that I could handle any woman too. Does everyone in this Tomb have an amazing appearance? If so I may as well have come empty handed. And to think I dragged all those girls away from their families for this. I really should apologize._

"I am also here to inform you that preparations for your arrival were delayed," Yuri said, ignoring that last comment.

"I see. Then shall we wait in our carriage?" Jircniv asked.

"No. You will wait here," Yuri stated coldly. Jircniv looked up to the sky. It looked like it was going to rain soon. He glanced back at his men who would usually have been deeply offended that their leader was being treated like this and would've started a scene. But their mouths shut and their eyes focused on Yuri with a look of fear.

 _What is this? Does he want us to know our place? I came here to apologize so the circumstances were pretty bad to begin with and now Lucifer wants to demean us even more. Clearly he has a bad attitude. And why are my men so afraid of this maid? It must be because of the carnage that little elf caused. You're a hard man to deal with Lucifer Dracul. With a single move you have struck fear into the hearts of the Imperial Army._

"Since they delay originated from our side, we would be poor hosts and in defiance of our lord's commands if we didn't accommodate you properly," Yuri stated. "To begin with, this weather doesn't look fitting. Allow me to fix that." she said as she clapped her hands. Jircniv stared in confusion before the weather started to change. The clouds that foretold the coming of rain dissipated and the sun shone brightly down upon them. Jircniv was absolutely shocked.

"Gramps! What was that?" Jircniv demanded. Fluder was gaping at the sky with a huge grin.

"Weather control magic. It must be 6th-Tier at the very least," Fluder replied laughing in pure joy.

"Begin phase two," Yuri said to no one in particular. In response, seven massive beings stepped out of Nazarick and Fluder screamed.

"No way!"

"Defensive positions!"

"It can't be….."

"Enough!" Fluder shouted. "Calm yourselves, all of you!" Five Death Knights and two Dark Paladins had emerged and were emitting an aura of pure evil. The Death Knights were carrying tables and kitchen utensils while the Dark Paladins provided security. One of Fluder's acolytes fainted and collapsed onto the ground.

"Impossible. Are those really Death Knights!? They're being controlled and in those numbers!?" one acolyte cried out. Jircniv stiffened as he remembered. Fluder had a Death Knight locked up underneath the Imperial Magic Academy! He had been unsuccessfully trying to control it for months! Legendary undead creatures that not even Fluder, the greatest magic caster in history could control and there were FIVE of them right in front of them. Fluder was capable of wiping out the entire Imperial Army and yet he couldn't control a single Death Knight. In a manner of speaking, the creatures here represented more than five times the power of the Imperial Army. Needless to say, Jircniv was freaking out. This was way too much power for anyone to possess. Only figures of legend had ever possessed such power. Could Lucifer Dracul really be like those legends?

"What are those other things?" another acolyte called out.

"Unknown," Fluder responded. "But I can sense that they are even more powerful than the Death Knights!"

"Lucifer Dracul, a monster we can't do anything about. No, that we can't even touch," Jircniv muttered to himself.

 _Just how powerful is Lucifer Dracul? Those five Death Knights, the Clockwork Soldiers, those things over there, the maids. That can't be all can it? Even with the dragons and those elves added it's still probably not everything! Those Death Knights might've given rise to even more powerful undead! Why is he in this place? Is he hiding from something or….._

Jircniv started shaking as he came up with the most logical explanation.

 _…_ _. His preparations are finally complete._

"Do not be afraid," Yuri cut in. "The Death Knights and Dark Paladins are created by Lord Dracul himself." Jircniv's mind froze.

 _Lucifer Dracul can create these creatures through nothing but his own will. To create these things would require resources and effort equal to their jaw dropping power. Either Dracul meets these requirements or he surpasses them entirely. NO! It's a bluff. It must be! If it isn't…_

Fluder suddenly started laughing like a maniac. To most, it would be nerve-wracking to witness, but Jircniv knew that this was the real Fluder. Obsessed with magic and peering into the abyss of magic.

"Rejoice my students!" Fluder exclaimed as if he was a prophet. "Open your eyes and be eternally grateful that you have been gifted with the chance to lay your eyes upon the highest, most exalted of magic casters! Now that you have seen the end of your journey, you must work towards it!" The faces of every imperial: Fluder's acolytes, the royal guards, and even Jircniv himself turned pale as they heard the legendary magic caster refer to the man they had come to push around as the "most exalted of magic casters". Jircniv couldn't think, he didn't want to think, he didn't even speak. He and everyone besides Fluder were the same, they just stayed silent. They didn't say a word. Not when the Death Knights finished setting the tables, not when they were brought refreshments, and not when they were led into Nazarick.

Not a word.

* * *

"And that is my report," Corvo concluded as he kneeled before the cardinals. He had given them Nazarick's location in order to cement his position and earn the cardinals' trust. They would've found out where it was from the Empire in the coming weeks anyway. This way he and his master would at least gain something from their location being revealed.

"You see this?" the Cardinal of Darkness smirked as he pushed his glasses back up. "This is a man who knows how to get results. Gone for not even a week and he's already uncovered more than the Windflower Scripture was able to in two months!"

"Yes," the Cardinal of Light huffed and crossed his arms. "Your little mercenary friend has certainly shown his worth, discovering the location of the Great Tomb of Nazarick."

"I aim to please sir," Corvo stated. "But there is a problem."

"Oh?" the Cardinal of Water spoke up.

"The information pertaining to the home of Lucifer Dracul was acquired from the Baharuth Empire, who we believe is there to forge an alliance," Corvo reported.

"NO!" the Cardinal of Fire exclaimed.

"This cannot be allowed to happen!" the Cardinal of Earth declared.

"It is too late," Corvo said solemnly. "The emperor himself is there speaking with Lucifer Dracul right now."

"Calm yourselves my friends," the Cardinal of Darkness spoke up. "We should wait and see where this goes. Perhaps we can use this to our advantage."

"He's right," the Cardinal of Wind nodded. "Lucifer Dracul has already demonstrated that he has amazing magical talent and attacking him in his home would be suicide. It's possible that if he got more involved in the world he would become much less secretive and more easily tracked. That we can strike when he is out in the open."

"For now we should inform the Archbishop of these developments," the Cardinal of Light said.

* * *

Jircniv and those who accompanied him had arrived at a pair of massive double doors that were intricately decorated with demons and gods. Countless ominous-looking statues surrounded them that looked like they were ready to come to life and rip them apart. On their way here they had seen amazing sights. There were architectural marvels, magical wonders, legendary creatures patrolled the halls, and the 6th Floor had its own damn sky! Everyone but Fluder had drawn in their shoulders as they were constantly reminded how puny and insignificant they were. The Great Tomb of Nazarick was a tomb in name only. It was more like a realm of the divine. They couldn't even imagine what its master, Lucifer Dracul, was like. Jircniv stared at the massive doors before him. Lucifer Dracul waited behind these doors. He was a sorcerer who had surpassed every magic caster in history. It would be a safe bet to believe that there would be no equal to him in the past or the future. His magnificent home was beyond human imagination and he had every possible advantage Jircniv could think of.

 _Why would someone as powerful as him be hiding here? I highly doubt he'll be satisfied with a simple apology. My original plan was to determine his desires and then supply him with what he wants in order to gain benefits for the empire. But after seeing this place, I have nothing he can possibly desire. Wealth is completely out of the question. Military and magic support: why would he want things inferior to his own? Offers of rank and authority would be meaningless. I can't even use those women to tie him to the empire when he has beauties like those maids running around. Can human desires even move his heart in the slightest? There's no way I can overcome him. The most I can hope for is that he doesn't deem me or the Empire as an enemy. How naïve. To think I was expecting a war of words._

Slowly, the doors opened. Arranged on each side of the crimson carpet were countless creatures. Right next to the carpet on either side were a long line of Dark Paladins and beyond them were countless Death Squads. Each Death Squad was made up of eight Death Knights and a Skull Knight. Dragons, demons, knights, insectoids, elves, and bizarre humanoids all stared at Jircniv's group like they were pests. Jircniv and his subordinates continued to walk down the carpet, doing their best to maintain their composure in front of this primal threat from the dawn of time. The longer Jircniv spent here the higher his threat evaluation of Lucifer Dracul rose. Dealing with Lucifer Dracul was no longer a simple matter of the Empire's survival, but the entire human race. Jircniv looked up when he heard an angelic voice begin to speak.

"All hail the father of all vampires, the master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the God of Life and Death, Lord Lucifer Dracul!" Albedo proclaimed. Jircniv's eyes widened as he saw him. Those soulless red eyes that stared at them as if they were ants, the cold smirk that made it seem like everything was going according to his plan, and the pale skin that looked as if he hadn't seen the sunlight in hundreds of years. In his hand was a strange but regal staff that had an aura of death whirling around it. He was death given human from. A god. Jircniv's Medallion of Mental Protection had limits and if he lost focus for even a moment, all he would be able to do is kneel.

 _Father of all vampires!? God of Life and Death!? Please, tell me those are just titles?_

"My love, before you stands the Emperor of the Baharuth Empire, Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix," Albedo said sweetly. Lucifer leaned forward so that he could look down to see Jircniv.

"Welcome, Emperor Jircniv," he said in calm yet commanding tone. "I am Lord Lucifer Dracul."

"Thank you for your most generous welcome, Lord Dracul," Jircniv said, struggling to keep his voice level.

"[Kneel] humans," Demiurge spat. As if forcibly pushed down by invisible hands, Jircniv's entourage were forced into a kneeling position.

"Now, now Demiurge," Lucifer chuckled. "Release the poor fools."

"As you command my lord. [Releasing Control]," Demiurge said, allowing for Jircniv's people to rise. They didn't however, they chose to remain on their knees before this god. Demiurge smirked at the sight. Jircniv was scared. Lucifer didn't seem the type to handle things with brute force and was cunning, so at least he wouldn't just blast the Empire to dust without even talking. He also had the absolute loyalty of every monster here. Jircniv had the sickening feeling that everything that had transpired had gone according to Luifer's wishes.

"I understand that you had prepared some form of compensation for me?" Lucifer inquired. "I admit I am curious as to what you have prepared."

"I acquired several maidens to serve you, Lord Dracul," Jircniv replied, fearing what the vampire's response would be. Lucifer's cold smile was gone, replaced with a slight frown and a look of disappointment.

"Typical, primitive humans," Lucifer said. Uh oh, that's not a good sign. "Is sex really all you think about? It is painfully obvious that you intended to use them to bind me to your empire." Jircniv gulped. He hit the nail right on the head.

"I don't know what to say. I am deeply sorry, Lord Dracul," Jircniv responded fearfully.

"No you are not," Lucifer said coldly with a dismissive wave of his hand, "You're sorry that it didn't work the way you had hoped. Ah, I do not hold it against you. You humans are like squabbling children who have no idea what you're doing. Now I believe you said you were hunting the parties responsible for sending those trespassers?"

"Yes," Jircniv said as he held up an urn that contained Count Femel's head. A short woman with silver hair stepped forward, took it from him, and handed it to Lucifer.

"Thank you, Shalltear," he said as he dumped the count's head into his open hand.

"Of course father," Shalltear smiled before returning to her previous position.

 _Father?_

"I can see that this is Count Femel's head Jircniv," Lucifer said as he glared at the Emperor. "But why isn't it your head? After all, you are the one who manipulated this moron into sending them here in the first place. Do you take me for a fool?" It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Lucifer Dracul knew EXACTLY what happened. Jircniv was absolutely sweating at this point.

"N-no. I just…." Jircniv froze. What he could he say? He wanted to trick this man, this GOD, into becoming his servant? Lucifer leaned back in his throne and let out a sigh.

"[Create Death Knight]," he said quietly. All of a sudden, the count's head began to move and became engulfed in a black sticky liquid. A torso and limbs grew out of the blackness and when it faded it had been turned into a Death Knight.

 _THE MAID WAS RIGHT! How many more of those things can he create? Don't tell me… an unlimited number as long as he has corpses!? What if he can create even more powerful undead!?_

"Go get in line," Lucifer said coldly to the bowing Death Knight, who did as it was instructed. Lucifer turned his glare back to Jircniv, who stiffened as those eyes rested on him.

"Get out," was all Lucifer said. Jircniv froze.

"I'm sorry?"

 **"** **Get out!"** Lucifer boomed in his true, horrible voice as he stood up from his throne. " **You are not the first mortals to come invade MY Nazarick! In the past I have let countless fools who have invaded live out of some misguided notion of pity,"** Lucifer lied. **"But no longer. This incident was the last straw! It is clear to me that you mortals can't be left to your devices. I have lived longer than your kind have even existed and do you know what I see every time I leave Nazarick? Mortals' stupidity. You keep making the same stupid mistakes over and over and over again! It's time someone put you all on the right path, whether you like it or not."** Jircniv's heart sank as he heard that declaration. Lucifer Dracul had essentially just declared war against the Baharuth Empire, no, the ENTIRE WORLD!

 _Impossible! He can't be that crazy can he? No, he's not crazy. If what he's saying is true and he's lived as long as he says, then I'm just limited by my comparably small amount of experience that makes it hard to face the facts. He has the personal, military, and economic strength to rule the world!_

Lucifer Dracul was a man who could do what he said.

That scared the shit out of Jircniv.

 _What should I do? Should I kneel to him here and now for the sake of the future? No, there will be no pleasant fate if we are left at the mercy of a vampire! He might just kill all of us and turn us into his unholy kind! I only have one chance…._

"May I propose an alliance?" Jircniv asked hopefully. Lucifer's eyes narrowed and his cold smirk returned as he sat back down.

"Are you confusing us with you lackeys!? Ow!" Shalltear exclaimed as Aura kicked her in the shin. "Why you little…."

 **"** **You're making too much noise. Quiet down,"** Lucifer commanded as he waved his hand majestically. Immediate silence followed. Jircniv's alertness level went through the roof.

 _Such a regal bearing can only come from ruling longer this place than a human can even live!_

"Jircniv, I don't believe that plan holds any benefits for you," Lucifer said as he gazed uncaringly at Jircniv.

"You were right about what you said before, Lord Dracul," Jircniv said, hoping to salvage the situation. "I have been foolish and I have wronged you. I would like to help you establish your own nation as a chance of making amends," he lied. Lucifer stared at him for a few moments.

"Very well Jircniv. I will give you this chance," Lucifer said, bringing a hopeful smile to Jircniv's face. "But if you betray me, well, I don't give second chances." Jircniv was surprised. He had prepared dozens of answers for when Lucifer demanded fealty from him. Jircniv didn't know what he was up to. When battling a stronger opponent, the arrogance of the strong was the weak's only advantage. But if the stronger opponent wasn't arrogant, then there would be nothing the weak could do to him. Jircniv became more and more aware that the sheer terror that accompanied Lucifer Dracul didn't just stem from his matchless power but his unfathomable intellect.

"I will not let you down, Lord Dracul," Jircniv lied as he began formulating a plan to kill this monster. "Is there anything we can do in the meantime?"

"We will start by exchanging embassies," Lucifer stated. "Since my subordinate, Demiurge, was rude to you earlier, we will have him take up the task of coordinating with you people."

"I will do as you command my lord," Demiurge stated with a smirk.

 _He checkmated me right from the start! The fact that he's so overt about his schemes is proof of his insidious nature. He's going to send this demon to use mind control on my people to get what he wants and steal Intel! Clever bastard. I've never seen such masterful exploitation of an opportunity. I don't think anyone, not even the Eight Greed Kings or the Evil Deities, were ever as much of a threat to humanity as he is! He is a monster! A demon! The Antichrist!_

"Wonderful," Jircniv said with false enthusiasm.

"It is a glorious day to forge an alliance!" Lucifer laughed as he shot a grin of pure evil towards Jircniv.

"Yes… alliance…"

* * *

Lucifer sat at his desk with the Floor Guardians assembled before him. He was VERY pleased with himself. Albedo was the last to arrive after chewing out Jigsaw for not knowing how to any birthing procedures that involved the baby being alive.

"Father," Shalltear was the first to speak. "Why did we not simply just conquer them?"

"Lord Dracul has already explained this to me," Demiurge replied on behalf of his master. "The Empire will join us willingly by the time the year is out. Remember, Lord Dracul was adamant that if Jircniv betrays us, he will pay. That will be when Jircniv gives up the Empire."

"I want to build an empire of unrivaled efficiency that will last eternity," Lucifer informed his Guardians. "Causing damage to every country we devour will cost us in the long run. We must always make ourselves out to be the heroes. Our first battle will be with the Re-Estize Kingdom, where I will demonstrate my superior strength. In doing so, the Kingdom will fragment eventually sparking a civil war, which we will deal with at a later date."

"I see," Albedo smiled. "But how do you expect the Emperor to attempt to betray you? It is obvious he doesn't have the power to do so."

"Humanity is a threat, even to us, if they are united," Lucifer said with a sinister smirk. "Jircniv will attempt to unite the surrounding countries to fight us and try to turn you, my Guardians, against me. But we will make it appear that his offer of an alliance is actually a trap he laid out on my orders. This will sever their trust and turn them against each other. As for him trying to convince you to betray me, does that even need an explanation? We will turn man against man until no empire but mine remains."

"There is one matter that still needs to be discussed," Sebas spoke up. "Our lord's title as ruler and the name of our country."

"M-merciful King Lucifer Dracul?" Mare stuttered out. "H-he is really nice to us."

"Power King Lucifer Dracul!" Aura proclaimed.

"Wise Emperor, perhaps?" Demiurge offered.

"Vampire King!" Shalltear shouted.

"Sorcerer. King," Cocytus said.

"Supreme King Lucifer Dracul!" Albedo declared.

"Our lord wishes to create an empire that will span eternity," Sebas spoke up. "He is immortal so he will be an Immortal Emperor of an Eternal Empire."

 _Better than Supreme King or Power King. I already hold the title of Father Blood so Vampire King is redundant. I like the whole Emperor angle though._

"Very well, Sebas," Lucifer said as he rose from his set. "We will demonstrate what happens to the fools who stand in our way in the battle with the Kingdom and I will crown myself the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul!"

"All hail the Immortal Emperor! Glory to the Eternal Empire!"

* * *

Bonus Story: Arche's Revenge

Arche, Hekkeran, and Imina were outside Arche's parents' estate. They were accompanied by a Dark Paladin that used to be Roberdyck. They still called him that, but it broke their hearts that upon his rebirth as a vampire he didn't remember them or even who he was. All he knew was that he must serve his master. Still, they could se bits and pieces of the man he used to be. It was raining heavily and they had received permission from Lord Dracul to take care of personal matter since they currently were not needed in his plans. For now.

"Are you sure you're up for this Arche?" Imina asked. Arche nodded with a grim expression on her face. Hekkeran put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're right behind you," he said in an assuring manner.

"Thank you," Arche muttered as they walked into the house.

"Arche?" her father looked up as he watched her enter. He had been speaking with the same man who had threatened them at the inn.

"Where are my sisters?" she demanded.

"Sorry girl," the man said grimly as held up a piece of paper with her father's signature on it. "Your dad just sold them into slavery. Sorry." Arche was fuming.

"You bastard! I'm out risking my life to make money that you waste away and now you try to sell my sisters!?" she screamed.

"We have an obligation to keep up appearances when we become nobles again!" her father exclaimed. "Stupid child! You have become so arrogant just because you're making money! Do you realize-" he wasn't able to finish because Arche ran forward and plunged a knife into her father's abdomen making him scream in pain. Ignoring his screams, she stabbed him again and again and again and again and again.

"Arche!" Imina cried out. Arche stopped and looked down at her blood covered hands. She turned around to see Hekkeran and Imina standing over the corpse of her mother and the bastard her father was about to sell her sisters to. She didn't know what to do so she just cried. Imina ran up to Arche and wrapped her in a hug.

"I don't mean to end the touching moment here," Hekkeran interrupted. "But we need to grab your sisters and get the hell back to Nazarick before someone comes to investigate."

* * *

 **Almost to Katze Plains! I don't know if the bonus story turned out right but damn was it satisfying to write about an angry girl killing her prick of a dad!**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	22. The Time Has Come And It's Quite Clear…

Chapter 21: The Time Has Come And It's Quite Clear….

"Please read the declaration left by the representative of the Baharuth Empire," King Rampossa, who was sitting in his throne, ordered his scribe. The scribe cleared his throat and looked around at the gathered nobles. Among them were the Six Great Nobles, although there were only five of them now after the Demonic Disturbance. Margrave Urovona was the oldest, wisest, and wrinkliest of the nobles, Count Ritton was a man with foxlike features and was known for not caring about anyone else, Marquis Volumlash was a handsome man who was as greedy and disloyal as one could be, Marquis Bowlrob who had been greatly embarrassed when Lucifer threw him out a window, and the enigmatic Marquis Raven. Marquis Pespeya was killed during the Demonic Disturbance. Additionally, there were countless lesser known nobles who weren't important. The scribe hated being brought to meetings where the nobles would be attending. Ever since the Demonic Disturbance, the balance of power had shifted in favor of the Royal Faction, despite the loss of Pespeya. The nobles were desperate to muck up the system and interfere with the Royals now that they had lost power and were hated by the commoners. For the first time in the history of the Kingdom, the nobles were afraid of their peasants. A civil war was on the horizon, a revolution by the people. The nobles were prepared to do anything to stamp out rebellion and stay in power.

"The Baharuth Empire hereby acknowledges the sovereignty of the independent Kingdom of Nazarcik…" the scribe began to read to the gathered nobles who immediately stiffened when they realized the severity of this meeting.

* * *

"…Ruled by the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul…." Pontifex Maximus read out while he grit his teeth and his hands that were holding the paper were shaking in fury. The cardinals that were listening gasped and started muttering to each other. "That no good, blasphemous, conniving, sacrilegious, unholy, infidel!"

* * *

"…..Originally, the region of E-Rantel and the surrounding area was the domain of the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul…" the Prime Minister of the Draconic Kingdom reported to his queen.

"Hold on! Who the hell is Lucifer Dracul!?" Queen Draudillon demanded, whose appearance is that of a loli in a regal dress. "What do you mean Immortal Emperor!? We don't have time for this while the beastmen are ravaging our country!"

* * *

"…..The Kingdom of Re-Estize is unlawfully occupying this territory and must now return it to its rightful owner…" a toadman spokesperson reported to the five Dragon Councilors of the Agrand Council Alliance.

"Let the human's continue to fight amongst each other," Suveria Myronsilk, the Blue Sky Dragon Lord scoffed. "Human matters are of no concern to the council. From how I hear it, this is just another human with too big of an ego. "Immortal Emperor" indeed."

* * *

"…..If the Kingdom does not comply with this demand, the Baharuth Empire will aid the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul in reclaiming his territory….." a rabbitman, Mayor Hosif Kellinci, reported to his fellow mayors of the Karnassus City-State Alliance.

"I've never heard of this Lucifer Dracul," Mayor Kabelia of Peibart commented as she raised an eyebrow. "What do we know about him?"

"Not much, Kabelia," a fairy, Mayor Puro Fai responded. "But we are looking into him right now."

* * *

"…..This will be a just war fought to end an unjust occupation," Rampossa's scribe finished. There was no way they would agree to these terms and when nobles heard something they didn't like, they always got loud. He held his breath and waited for the inevitable shouting to begin. He didn't have to wait long.

"This is outrageous!"

"Filthy commoner!"

"Meh."

"Isn't he the guy who threw you out a window, Bowlrob?"

"Shut up!"

"How dare he call himself a ruler?"

"Immortal Emperor? HA!"

"Why is the false emperor assisting him?"

"I knew it. Anyone who has so little respect for nobles must be insane! To have the arrogance to call himself immortal!"

"Just in case, I have had scholars examine the Kingdom's history. There is absolutely no mention of Lucifer Dracul whatsoever," the scribe said so that everyone could hear him. "There is no legitimacy to his claim."

"Isn't this just the same declaration of war from the Empire as usual?" Marquis Bowlrob spoke up. "They must truly be scraping the bottom of the barrel if this mad magic caster is all they got."

"A mad magic caster who threw you out a window and into a pile of manure," someone snickered. Bowlrob turned to glare at whoever said that, but couldn't figure out who did it among the countless nobles so he went back what he was doing with a grunt.

"Isn't this clown the same one who helped the Warrior Captain save Carne Village?" Count Ritton sneered. "He must have thought he was helping his own peasants." Gazef scowled as Ritton turned his head and leered openly at him. Gazef wanted to beat him to a pulp but he couldn't embarrass the king like that.

"This madman is irrelevant," Bowlrob interrupted. "The real question is how do we intend to respond to the False Emperor?"

"It's obvious that we will go to war," Ritton said snidely. "Now is the time to crush them once and for all. We shall take the fight to the Empire's doorstep!"

"Indeed! It's time the Emperor pays the price for purging the nobles of the Empire. At least they were tolerable back then," Volumlash said with a nod as he was no doubt imagining the profit that could be made by looting the Empire's valuables.

"Those fools will finally realize who they're messing with!" Bowlrob declared. Urovona shook his head sadly as he watched the noble faction delude themselves with his wrinkled face twisted as if he had eaten something bitter. Gazef grimaced as he heard the nobles jeer and laugh as they spoke of war as if it was a sport. Of course they would, they never worked but reaped all the benefits. They just went around and conscripted all the commoners they could. But something else was setting off alarm bells for Gazef.

"I don't think this battle will end in a small skirmish as usual," Gazef said. The nobles looked as if they had been splashed with cold water and glared at Gazef. They lived in their own little worlds where they believed nothing could hurt them and that they could do whatever they wanted simply because they were born rich. They were the reason that there had still been some level of underground slavery in the Kingdom. It was their fault organizations like the Eight Fingers were able to run rampant and young girls were stolen from their families to be used to satisfy the lust of those who were wealthy. The fact that he knew it but couldn't do anything about it without causing a civil war that would destroy the country made Gazef hate them and they knew it. As a matter of fact, it made them flaunt about the fact that they could get away with almost anything. That just made Gazef hate them even more. That said, there were some good nobles who truly had what was best for their people at heart. It's a shame that those nobles just don't have the power to change things.

"And why is that, Warrior Captain?" Ritton sneered making his contempt for the commoner obvious with his foxlike features twisted into a scowl.

"Go ahead, Gazef," King Rampossa said kindly, signaling Gazef to speak his mind.

"Your majesty, it is because of that magic caster, Lucifer Dracul," Gazef replied as he remembered Lucifer Dracul himself. The man who saved his life. Death given human form.

"You're the only one who has really seen him in action Gazef. What is your opinion of him?" Bowlrob asked. He didn't like Gazef since he was a commoner, but he respected his prowess with a blade.

"He is extraordinarily powerful," Gazef responded curtly. "I believe it would be best if we simply handed E-Rantel over to him." Members of the Royal Faction immediately stopped bickering with other nobles and turned to glare at Gazef.

"What?"

"You coward!"

"After all that the king has done for you!?"

"You traitor!"

"Stop!" King Rampossa ordered as he sat up. "Although I am touched that my subjects would be so moved on my behalf, I would like to remind you all that Gazef Stronoff has risked his life for mine numerous times and would never betray me. I am sorry Gazef, but a ruler cannot simply give up his land and abandon the citizens who live on it. May I ask just how powerful Lucifer Dracul is?"

"Of course your majesty," Gazef replied. "He managed to defeat the Sunlight Scripture which decimated me and my warrior band without taking a scratch. His power is the kind that makes you think of Demon King Jaldabaoth or the Dark Knight Momon." Ritton scoffed at him.

"Yes, the "Dark Knight Momon", I trust we all remember that incident with him?" Ritton asked his fellow nobles who began scowling. When Momon had defeated Jaldabaoth, the Kingdom had offered him nobility which made the nobles very unhappy that a commoner, and a foreigner at that, was being offered a chance to join their ranks. What absolutely enraged them was when he turned it down. They yelled at him saying things like "How dare you a mere commoner like you deny something we nobles offer you! Be grateful!" or "Who do you think you are?" but Momon had simply laughed at them saying "I don't care about any of that" and walked out while flipping them off. As their thoughts traveled back to how little of a shit he gave about them, it reminded them of what happened when they met Lucifer. The sheer embarrassment they felt at a commoner being able to push them around like that, but now they were being given a chance to get payback in the war against him. If Lucifer was able to push them around without repercussions, it may inspire other commoners to revolt against them. So, naturally, the nobles ignored Gazef's warning and became fixated on punishing Lucifer for his insolence. Gazef furrowed his eyebrows. These people were absolutely out of their minds! They would pick their ridiculous noble pride over concrete facts and benefits!

"It's obvious we will give in to the Empire ludicrous demands," Raeven spoke up, getting everyone's attention. The usual snakelike smile he had on his face had been missing ever since he lost his wife during the Demonic Disturbance. He had become distraught when she was assassinated and his face had been fixed in a frown with furrowed eyebrows ever since. He hadn't even been able to give her a proper burial because someone had stolen the corpse, an elf had done it if the eyewitnesses were to be believed. The only time he was ever happy anymore was when he was with his son. "Which leaves us with one option: War. Instead of standing around, we should begin preparations immediately."

"You and the other nobles will be participating?" Urovana asked.

"Indeed," Raeven nodded grimly. The members of the Noble faction gaped at Raeven.

"But Marquis Raeven," Ritton said smoothly. "Surely his majesty can handle this matter on his own? Why should we-"

"I suggest you stop thinking like that," Raeven interrupted. "If his majesty's forces are defeated, who knows where the Empire will strike next?" The nobles grimaced. The Kigdom's forces were made up of conscripted civilians who were no match against the Empire's knights. The only way to battle quality was with quantity. After thinking on this and Raeven's words, the nobles panicked as they imagined Imperial Knights ravaging their lands. One by one, the nobles pledged their support to the coming battle.

"I'm in!"

"If he's in, I'm in!

"I will assist in order to secure my domain!"

"I as well!"

"Then it is settled. In order to protect our own lands we will protect the king's. We should delay our response to the Empire and gather our troops in E-Rantel," Raeven said with a nod. As the nobles began discussing amongst themselves about who will organize what, Gazef frowned at this exchange. He thought back to how he met Lucifer, fought the Theocracy, Brain's encounter with the vampire Shalltear, met with Lucifer at the party, the Demonic Disturbance, and now this. He didn't know why, but he had the sinking feeling that it was all connected.

* * *

Zesshi was aggravated as she stomped out of the church, as she usually did whenever she was called up in an attempt to get her to choose a husband. She didn't care about things like that. All she focused on was finding someone who could give her a decent challenge, but so far, no success. The only vaguely interesting people around were Corvo and Ruvik. Corvo was currently sparring with Oras Fries.

"You really think you can take me on new guy? Oras asked arrogantly. "I'm the second seat on the Black Scripture! They don't call me "Time Turbulence" for nothing! I can freeze time! I'm practically invincible!"

"And yet, your captain had to drag your corpse back from your last mission," Corvo growled. "Shut up and fight or go brag somewhere else." Oras scowled at Corvo before using his ability.

"[Stop Time]!" he yelled, freezing the area around him. With a smirk, he leisurely walked towards Corvo. As he prepared to attack with exaggerated movements, a fist collided with his face, knocking him down. Time resumed and Oras looked up to see it had been Corvo's fist that had hit him. "HOW!?" Oras demanded angrily.

"I wouldn't have challenged you if I wasn't confident in my ability to overcome your [Time Stop]," Corvo said bluntly. "Your ability makes you stronger than most, but it also makes it so you don't try to improve. You defeated yourself." With those final words, Corvo turned around and walked away from the angry Oras, whose pride had just taken a major blow.

"Hey!" Zesshi called to him. He turned around and gave her the scowl he always had plastered to his face.

"What?" he asked gruffly.

"It's clear you could've made it as an adamantite ranked adventurer, so why'd you sign on with Maximilian?" Zesshi asked. Corvo stared at her for a few moments before responding.

"There are strong people here," he said coldly. "I intend to survive the coming storm. During my time in the Great Forest of Tob I saw things. Things that are preparing to move out of the shadows and swallow the world. I have a better chance of surviving what is to come if I am among strong individuals."

"You're not devoted to humanity at all?" Zesshi asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm devoted to myself and nothing more," Corvo lied, keeping his cover in mind.

"You said you want to be ready for what is coming. What exactly IS coming?" Zesshi inquired with narrowed eyes.

"Monsters," was all Corvo said as he walked away.

* * *

Marquis Raeven sighed as he walked into his manor. Those noble fools were so busy bickering they didn't even notice the fact that their Kingdom was on the brink of collapse! He had used to be as foolish as them. He thought of himself as the puppet master who would take the throne through his sheer genius. Everything he had done from accumulating wealth and power to his own damn marriage had been a step closer to taking the throne. When he learned that was going to have an heir he had thought it would be one more tool for him to use. But then he had met the child not even a day old and when that little hand wrapped around his finger, something broke inside Raeven. His conquests for the throne came to an end and he vowed to become a better man, a man that his now five year-old son could look up to and be proud to call his father. He devoted himself to fixing the Kingdom and ensuring its prosperity, he even came to love the woman he had only married just to gain benefits. They had become a true happy family.

And then Jaldaboath came.

Raeven had done everything he could to try to steer things back in the right direction, but ever since the Demonic Disturbance everything had gone downhill. Nobles that supported a unified Kingdom had died, greedy and arrogant fools had risen to power, his wife was killed and her body was stolen, and he couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something had orchestrated all of this. This was all in addition to the stresses that came with war such as food shortages, lack of personnel, increases in bandits, and that was just the start. He hadn't taken two steps into his manor when a servant came running up to him.

"Sir! There's someone in the lounge! Your son is with him!" he cried. Raeven's eyes widened. He had already lost his wife, HE WILL NOT LOSE HIS SON! He ran up the stairs faster than he thought he could run, burst in the room….

And found a tall, pale man with a pleasant smile teaching Raeven's son how to play chess.

"….And the knights can move in an L shape," the man said before he noticed Raeven. "Good evening, Marquis Raeven, I apologize for entering unannounced but I think it would remain convenient for both of us if my visit was kept a secret." Raeven simply stared at the man and his smiling son who was waving at him.

"W-who are you?" Raeven finally asked.

"My name is Lucifer Dracul. I'm here to make you the offer the chance of a lifetime. Tell me, how much do you miss your wife?"

* * *

"This is unacceptable!" the Cardinal of Light ranted. The Cardinal of Darkness rolled his eyes.

"Can we have just ONE meeting without you yelling?" he asked irritably.

"This is hardly ideal," Pontifex Maximus sighed. "However, it does provide us with an opportunity."

"Oh?" the Cardinal of Fire asked.

"We shall temporarily recall Holocaust Scripture from the war with those filthy elves of the Elf Kingdom," Maximus smirked. "When the time comes for war between the Empire and the Kingdom, Lucifer Dracul will be there. That will be our chance to assassinate the infidel. We will kill this "Immortal Emperor" and stamp out his country before it is even built!"

"Yes Archbishop!" the cardinals exclaimed as they bowed their heads.

* * *

"Gentlemen," Raeven began. "I have come to a startling realization. We do not know to whom the allegiance of the peasants at Carne Village belongs to."

"Of course to his majesty!" Volumlash declared, but Raeven shook his head.

"Because Lucifer Dracul saved the peasants who lived there, it is possible that they have allied themselves with him," Raeven announced. "We need to send someone to investigate Carne, evaluate where their loyalties lie, and discover any additional intelligence we can about him."

"Father," Prince Barbro spoke up. "I would like to volunteer for this mission!" King Rampossa looked at his son and nodded. It wouldn't be too dangerous a task and his son would have a chance to convince people he wasn't a coward, which had become the popular belief after the events of the Demonic Disturbance.

"Very well, you will have a contingent of Royal Guards and group of nobles. In all you will have approximately 5000 men. Take care my son," the king said.

"Yes father. I will not let you down!" Barbro declared, but Gazef could see what he was thinking. Innocent or not, he was going to kill the villagers and claim that they had conspired with Lucifer to take down the Kingdom. Everyone was so focused on this that they didn't notice Marquis Raeven slip out of the room. Raeven walked over to one of the men he had told the palace guards was one of his bodyguards. He was blonde and had two swords. His name was Hekkeran Termite.

"So, how did it go?" Hekkeran asked.

"Tell your master that everything will proceed as he had hoped and that he should begin assembling his forces at Carne Village as soon as possible," Raeven said glumly. "He will keep his side of the bargain?"

"My lord has yet to go back on his word so I think you will be fine," Hekkeran replied with a nod before he walked out. Raeven leaned up against a nearby wall and slowly slipped down until he was in the fetal position. After making sure no one was looking, he began to sob silently. Today he had made a choice. Save his family or betray the Kingdom he had dedicated his life to building. Yesterday, after meeting Lucifer Dracul in person and discovering what kind of man he was, he had been struck with the horrible realization that the Kingdom was doomed anyways no matter what he did to try to save it. Raeven was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, and this was only the beginning. Lucifer would ask for many more favors like this if he wanted to reunite his wife with her child and release her from Lucifer's clutches.

* * *

Enri Emmot, who was now the chief of Carne Village, was surprised by what Nfirea had just come in yelling about.

"Lucifer Dracul is here!" he exclaimed excitedly. As the words sunk in, Enri's eyes brightened. She grabbed Nfirea and the two of them ran down the road towards Lucifer, who was speaking with Jugem, the head goblin summoned from the Horn of the Goblin General. Lucifer had deactivated some of his vampiric traits in order to look relatively human. He wouldn't need to keep doing this forever though, just for a little longer.

"Lord Dracul!" Enri called out. Lucifer looked over and gave her a pleasant smile as he walked over to her and Nfirea.

"It is good to see you again Enri," Lucifer said, sticking with the appearance of a kind and caring man that he had sold these fools. "How is your sister, Nemu?"

"She is fine my lord, thank you," she said before she sweatdropped. "Although, ever since the day you saved us she's been running round pretending to be a vampire for some reason."

"Children will be children," Lucifer smiled while internally noted that Nemu may still recall bits and pieces of the memories he altered. Note to self: practice memory alteration on prisoners before killing them and turning them into more Death Knights. "Nfirea, you're looking well. How has that lab equipment I sent you been working out? I understand you're on the verge of a breakthrough."

"The instruments you've supplied me with are amazing, Mo- Lord Dracul," Nfirea replied as he almost called him Momon. "I should have a potion never seen before by next week!"

"Splendid," Lucifer chuckled as he mentally smirked. It's about damn time the investment he put into this human started to pay off.

"But Lord Dracul, why are you here?" Enri asked.

"I'm afraid this isn't a social call," Lucifer frowned. "According to one of my spies, the Kingdom has sent an army led by Prince Barbro. Because they believe that you have sided with me in this war, they seek to burn Carne Village to the ground," he lied.

"Do you hear that everyone?" Enri, in her anger, yelled to her fellow villagers. "The Kingdom has decided that they need to kill us because Lord Dracul saved us!"

"What!?"

"How could they?"

"Bastards!"

"We will protect you General Enri!"

"They abandon us when the Theocracy attacked and now this?"

"Meh."

"They don't give a damn about us when we're in need, but the moment they declare our savior an enemy, we're guilty by association!?"

"If Lord Dracul is their enemy then I'm their enemy too!"

"I ain't going out like a bitch!"

"Fucking nobles think they can do whatever they want? We'll show them!"

Lucifer resisted the urge to grin evilly. It was all going exactly as he had planned. He had his witnesses and he had his troops nearby ready to engage. If things hadn't gone as planned he would've used his vampiric abilities to hypnotize Barbro into being a scapegoat.

"My forces will engage them before they can reach the village," Lucifer informed them. "Stay up on the perimeter wall and use you bows and arrows to shoot anyone who get past my men. Fair warning, they won't be human."

* * *

Barbro was excited to be on this mission. Not only would he have the chance to prove himself against these "rebels" but in battle against the Empire as well. Of course, he wasn't expecting the villagers to actually fight him. For mere peasants to rise up against their prince was ridiculous, it had never happened before in history, at least not successfully.

 _When I finally take down these villagers and tell father they rebelled, the nobles will think highly of me for putting down those peasants who dared to turn against them. My brother Zanac thinks he's so smart, using Raeven's men to secure the city during the Demonic Disturbance. It's too bad I have to be in a backwater village like this though._

Finally, Carne Village came in sight, but there was a problem. The walls around Carne Village were occupied by archers and in front of the main gates were four creatures that looked like avatars of death and brutality. In front of those monsters was a tall, pale man in dark clothing and a red cloak. He had a cold smile as Barbro approached. It was only when he got closer did he recognize him as the man from the party, Lucifer Dracul.

 _Good, I can kill this commoner here and now, bringing an end to the Empire's reason to fight and ending this year's war altogether. I'll be a hero and the throne will be mine for sure!_

"You, Lucifer Dracul, are an enemy of the Re-Estize Kingdom! Surrender now and I will let you live!" Barbro lied. Lucifer laughed as he let his vampiric red light shine in his eyes for Barbro to see. Those red soulless eyes. It was like looking into hell.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Lucifer asked as he continued laughing. "You came to kill these villagers because they were saved by me when you abandoned them." Barbro fearfully stared at those eyes a little longer before he looked up the villagers armed with bows and arrows.

"You! Peasants! Assist me in killing this mad magic caster! I, Prince Barbro command you!" Barbro demanded as if it were only natural that they obey him. All they did was glare at him and one them even had the balls to shout back:

"Fuck you!" Barbro became positively livid.

"Kill them all! They are traitors to the Kingdom for disobeying a royal decree!" he shouted to his guards. The guards knew that whatever those things Lucifer had with him were dangerous but they had the advantage in numbers so they charged into battle. Four of whatever those things were and a magic caster against 5000 soldiers, the odds were in their favor.

Or so they thought.

"Death Knights, attack," Lucifer ordered calmly. One of the soldiers got in close and swiped his sword across the Death Knight's leg in an attempt to cut off its leg. His sword broke on impact with the monster who simply kicked the offending soldier sending him flying through the air. The Death Knights began their onslaught slashing at the soldiers with their twisted swords, bashing them with their massive shields, and simply used their feet to stomp them into a pulp or send the enemies flying.

"Die Dracul!" one man yelled as he stabbed at Lucifer, who simply leaned forward and put his hand to the soldier's head, using his height and arm length to keep the man from approaching him. It would've been funny to look at if it wasn't so pathetic.

"[Zebel Blast]," Lucifer said quietly as a large ball of black energy appear in his hand and struck the man who he had his hand against, causing the fool to explode in a mass of bloody chunks of meat. Another brave soul ran through the pieces of his exploding comrade and went straight for Lucifer. He jumped up and tried to stab him through the torso but the blade shattered on impact with his chest. Lucifer smirked down at the man whose eyes widened.

"Monster….." he said. That also just so happened to be the last thing he ever said as Lucifer grabbed him by the neck and choked the life out of him. The soldier squirmed and struggled to get free but no matter what he tried he couldn't break free. When he finally released his last breath, Lucifer unceremoniously dropped his corpse to the ground and looked up to see how the battle, if you could even call it that, was progressing. It had been a one sided massacre from the very beginning. About 300 of the Kingdom's men had been killed so far and Barbro was freaking out.

"This is taking much too long," Lucifer said in an annoyed tone. "[Negative Burst]!" he exclaimed as a shockwave of unholy energy was released. They were far enough away from the village for it not to affect them and the Death Knights wouldn't take damage from unholy energy it would heal them instead since they were undead. The Kingdom's soldiers on the other hand, weren't so lucky. Out of the 5000 men Barbro had brought with him, 2000 ended up getting caught in the blast and it killed them instantly.

"Retreat!" Barbro screamed when he saw that terrible magic. Such a thing should not be possible, there couldn't be a monster, a god like this could there?

"Do not let them escape!" Lucifer commanded. "If they make it back to the Kingdom they will bring reinforcements!" With his orders given, he turned back to the villagers and saw Enri waving at him from on the wall. "Enri, is everyone in the village safe?" he asked out of concern for his own personal intrests, not that they needed to know that.

"We're fine my lord!" Enri shouted back. "What are you going to do with them?"

"Because he is the prince he believes himself and all other nobles to be above approach," Lucifer proclaimed. "I am going to dole out a harsh punishment in order to send a message to all nobles that no one is above reproach and no one can get away with attempting mass murder like they did!" and with that, he teleported after his Death Knights as the villagers cheered.

* * *

Barbro was terrified. These hulking creatures, Death Knights, had caught up with him and his men so easily. Every time one of his men tried to flee they were instantly cut down by those jagged swords. It wasn't long until their master, Lucifer Dracul, arrived.

"Do you know who I am? I am Prince Barbro Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself of the Re-Estize Kingdom!" Barbro shouted. Lucifer just rolled his eyes.

"Shut up human," he said coldly as he reactivated his vampiric traits giving all of his captives a view of his soulless red eyes and his fanged grin. Barbro was sweating.

 _Vampire! He can't be thinking of killing me can he? No, I have value as the first prince. Even a monster like this can understand I'm too important to kill. He's probably here to negotiate or take me prisoner. Either way this won't end well for me. Although, perhaps I can negotiate to cede one quarter of the Kingdom's territory to him in return for his assistance in making me king. I would have to kill him afterwards though. I can't give up that much territory and no one would respect me if I worked with a bloodsucking abomination like him!_

"I hope we can come to a reasonable agreement, Lord Dracul," Barbro said, masking his fear. "As the first prince I can help you get whatever it is you want."

"No, your death is required for my plans," Lucifer said coldly. "Your entire country will fall to me before the year is out and your death is part of making that happen. So I am going to kill you and your men to send a message and ignite the fires of a civil war within the Kingdom."

"WHAT!? What nonsense are you spewing! Didn't you hear who I said I am?" Barbro shouted foaming at the mouth. "Do you not realize my value? How dare you even THINK about killing me! You're supposed to take nobles as hostages or ransom them! Or is it territory you want? You need to keep me alive to use for a more advantageous position in negotiations!"

"There will be no negotiations," Lucifer smirked. "I will take what I want and you humans will cower before me. You saw what my Death Knights were capable of back there. I have thousands more at my disposal. You have nothing I can possibly want and I have every advantage. Why negotiate when you can dictate?" Barbro's heart felt like it was going to explode when he realized that he had no value and that Re-Estize was going to be destroyed. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't be killing you just yet. We're going to put on a performance together."

"Y-y-you're really going to kill me?" Barbro asked as if he couldn't believe it.

"Obviously. Death Knights kill the rest of them. Bring the bodies back to Nazarick and the heads to Re-Estize. It's time to send a message," Lucifer commanded.

* * *

The sun had just risen. At this point, the commoners of Re-Estize would start waking up while the nobles continued to snooze. Usually, that is.

"Your majesty!" a guard called out knocking on King Rampossa's door. "Your majesty please wake up and look outside! Look towards the town hall!" Rampossa groggily got up out of bed and walked onto his balcony. He looked into his telescope and saw….. heads.

Surrounding the entire capitol of Re-Estize was a grisly display of human heads impaled on spears and set up in a manner that they were put there specifically to be seen. The king was now wide awake and swiveled his telescope to look at the town center. Countless commoners were gathered there and all were looking up at a roof and shouting. As he turned to look at the roof, he saw Lucifer Dracul there, pacing and shouting to the crowd, getting them riled up. The king's heart sank when he saw who was on the roof with him. With him was his son, Barbro. He had a noose tied around his neck with the other end of the rope tied around a chimney. In a panic, the king threw on his royal garbs and rushed out, followed by Gazef and a few guards. The noise from the crowd was deafening as they approached, but Lucifer could still be heard clearly.

"…. And what gives them the right to behave in such a manner?" Lucifer called out, rallying the crowd. "They were born in a mansion so they can do whatever they want? No I say! The nobles rape, steal, kidnap, murder and do whatever they please to the commoners because they believe that they have the power! They want you to be their slaves! But do you know what they don't want you to know? They fear you, the people! They know that their power is fragile and that if you unite there is nothing they can do to stop you from claiming the power that is rightfully yours!" The crowd was cheering like mad and cursing the nobles.

"Hell yeah!"

"A nobleman kidnapped my little girl!"

"A noblewoman killed my husband!"

"A noble burned down my home when I said I wouldn't let him sleep with my wife!"

"They work us to death and take all the money we earn away with taxes!"

"They all deserve to die!"

"He's right!"

"Down with the nobles!"

"All hail the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul!"

"Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer! Lucifer!"

Lucifer grinned as the crowd became exactly what he wanted. An angry mob. The seeds of revolution had been planted and when the time came, he would be seen as their messiah.

 _Humans are so predictable._

"Wait!" King Rampossa yelled. "Emperor Dracul, surely this doesn't have to end this way. I'm sure we can negotiate for my son. What is it you want? Money? Land? Our surrender?"

"This has nothing to do with our war and no amount of land or money will make this problem go away! This is about what's right!" Lucifer lied while making sure the entire crowd could hear him. "This man, Prince Barbro, is guilty of attempting to kill the innocent people of Carne Village just so he could claim that they were rebels and use their deaths to elevate his status among the nobility! This selfish, heartless act cannot go unpunished! Noble or commoner, NONE are above reproach!"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," Barbro muttered out as tears rolled down his face.

"Do you hear that? He said he's sorry! Do you accept his apology?" Lucifer asked the crowd.

"NO!" they shouted back.

"Then how shall we punish him?" Lucifer demanded.

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"

"The people have spoken!" Lucifer declared as he kicked Barbro off the roof. Barbro's scream was cut short as he ran out of rope and the noose tightened around his neck. He didn't even have a chance to suffocate as the rope had snapped his neck and his eyeballs popped out. The people didn't care though. They had survived the Demonic Disturbance and all its horrors so this was nothing to them so instead of gasping in horror they cheered as the life of a horrible man was snuffed out.

"NOOOOOO!" came the anguished cry of the king. "Lucifer Dracul I swear I will kill you! I WILL KILL YOU!"

"[Greater Teleportation]," Lucifer said with a smirk as he disappeared. Gazef looked at his king. He had never seen an outburst like that from his old friend.

"Gazef!" Rampossa yelled as he turned his head towards Gazef revealing a crazed look on his face. "This is an order! When the time to battle on Katze Plains comes, kill Lucifer Dracul!"

* * *

Bonus Story: Arche's Sisters

Lucifer stared at the three blondes before him, Arche and her little sisters. Arche was still a little scared of him but her sisters, who had never seen him before, were shaking from fear.

"Arche," Lucifer said with a sigh. "When I told you that you may leave to take care of some personal matters, I didn't say you could bring them back."

"Please my lord- I mean my Emperor," Arche said with a bow. "When I got there, my father was selling them into slavery and I didn't know what to do! I couldn't just leave them there!"

"Is he dead?" Lucifer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Y-yes," Arche replied.

"Just as well," Lucifer said as he leaned back in his char. "From what I've heard he deserved it. Also, referring to me as "my lord" is fine."

"I'm glad you agree, my lord," Arche said as she let out a sigh of relief.

"For the time being, you and your sisters shall remain on the 6th Floor in the Demihuman village," Lucifer decreed. "You will live there until it is time to establish a church that worships me. When that happens they will go with you and help around the church. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord," Arche responded, happy that her sisters were safe.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Lucifer said as he stood up. "Albedo is being examined by Jigsaw and I'm concerned that he doesn't actually know what he's doing."

* * *

 **Can anyone guess what the next chapter will be called? Also, today I learned that Hail and Kill is an actual song.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	23. Our Antichrist Is Finally Here

Chapter 22: ….Our Antichrist Is Finally Here

More than a month had passed. Word about the King's outburst and Barbro's execution had gotten around fast. There wasn't anybody who hadn't heard about it. Those who hadn't been there to see it were told by others about the events that took place. Every time someone told the story, it was embellished just a little more. By the time the story had reached everyone in the capitol, Lucifer Dracul, despite being a vampire, was a hero who stood up for what was right and never compromised his principles. Those who lived in the slums practically worshipped him at this point. The nobles tried to play it off as the ravings of a single madman, but they had wronged so many of the commoners so many times that their claims were met with jeers and curses. When the nobles went to the Royal Palace for a final meeting before the battle, some of the small time nobles were robbed and beaten in the streets. The people cursed the nobles and the members of the Royal Family. There were those who were normally patriotic that decided the Immortal Emperor was in the right and that their own country was the villain in this circumstance. People were rioting and tearing the city apart even though they hadn't even recovered from the Demonic Disturbance. The only aristocrats the people didn't hate were Princess Renner and Margrave Urovona. Somewhere far away, Lucifer Dracul was probably laughing at them. Gazef didn't know what to think about Lucifer being a vampire and he didn't know how he could be loyal to the king he was once proud to serve who has now thought of nothing but revenge since the incident occured.

The King himself had changed drastically. The kindly old man who wanted nothing more than to leave a decent Kingdom for his heir was gone and replaced by a vengeful father. His kind smile was nowhere to be seen and now he usually had a scowl and a glare as the man who haunted his dreams continued to dog him even when he was awake. But of course he would, he was what more than half of his meetings were about now. He hated Lucifer Dracul and he hated all of the commoners who sided with him. He was a vampire for crying out loud! How could they choose an unholy bloodsucking creature like that over their own king? It was treason! This wasn't about the Kingdom or the war anymore, it was about revenge.

"Report, Marquis Raeven," the king demanded. The nobles had become much less rowdy around this king who, despite his old age, looked like he was ready to order a genocide if it meant that Lucifer would die. Even Count Ritton kept the snide remarks to a minimum.

"Your majesty," Raven began. "As you have ordered, we have increased the levy and our forces are making their way to E-Rantel and from there to Katze Plains. It is almost time for our war."

"Good," the king grunted as his eyes twinkled at the thought of Lucifer's head on a pike. He had ordered that conscription become mandatory for all men over the age of twenty. In the past, he had given peasants a chance to refuse but now he was so captivated by the thought of revenge it had become his obsession.

"We are all familiar with the cursed Katze Plains," Bowlrob spoke up. "We all know what is going to happen."

"Since it's the same place as always, won't they just do the same thing as usual?" Ritton asked. Most of the nobles still felt that Lucifer Dracul was just a puffed up commoner and that the Empire was using him as a casus belli for them to declare war. It was easier for them to think this way, rather, it was more like they didn't want to admit that they had a crisis on their hands. The king's personal vendetta just made things easier for them because most of the noble faction had supported Bowlrob and they wanted revenge on Lucifer for taking all the years they spent investing in the prince and making them a worthless waste of time.

"I'm afraid that may not be the case. The Empire has fielded six full legions to Katze Plains to assist the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul," Raeven interjected. Everyone in the room froze. Up until this point, the most the Empire had ever committed to the field was four legions. But never six.

"Are they serious this time?" Volumlash asked. The nobles looked fearfully at each other. The delusion they had built up about Lucifer Dracul being nothing more than a commoner who needed to be put in his place was starting to crumble.

"Hmph," Bowlrob grunted. "It seems they have mobilized more troops under the pretense of helping that magic caster. They'll claim that they would lose face if they didn't put on a good show in aiding their ally." And just like that, the delusion was saved.

"Indeed, but we still don't know how Lucifer Dracul is involved," Volumlash said. "I would think that the Empire had tricked him into partaking in this war if it wasn't for his execution of the prince. Clearly, he has some sort of stake in this but we don't know what he wants or why he's doing this."

"He's just one mere sorcerer," Ritton sneered. "The fact that he was able to escape after killing the prince is, quite frankly, an embarrassment that needs to be rectified. Once he's dead, all those filthy commoners he riled up will slink back into whatever barbaric hovels they crawled out of. This whole thing has been one bad joke and that declaration from the Slane Theocracy is just the icing on the cake." Several of the nobles chuckled as they thought of the Theocracy's absurd proclamation, although a few who had understood what it really meant cringed. Usually, the Theocracy would send a proclamation that said something along the lines of: "E-Rantel and its surrounding territory originally belonged to the Slane Theocracy. The Kingdom has unlawfully taken control of this region and are obliged to return it." However, this time they had said something different in their proclamation: "The Theocracy has no records of his reign, but if the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul has indeed ruled E-Rantel and its surrounding region in the past, the Theocracy will acknowledge the fact and his sovereignty." To most of the nobles this was nothing more than a bad joke, but Urovona and some of the others had understood its true meaning and became afraid. The Slane Theocracy, the most powerful nation in the region, was not willing to make an enemy of a single magic caster.

"Do not be naïve," Gazef said. "He decimated the Sunlight Scripture and the Theocracy is afraid of making an enemy of him so they have simply rolled over for him."

"So what?" Ritton laughed in Gazef's face mockingly. "We have 300,000 people!"

"Count Ritton is right!" Bowlrob declared. "No matter how powerful he is, a single magic caster cannot change the course of a battle! As nobles of the Kingdom, you should be ashamed of yourselves! Cowering at the sight of his shadow!"

"Shall we draft those adventurers?" Volumlash asked.

"No. if we did that then the Empire would do the same. It would become a systematic slaughter of the rank and file," Urovona interjected. "The losses would be greater and the Adventurer's Guild would never allow that to happen anyway." Many of the nobles started growling as they thought about how they couldn't push the adventurers around and started cursing them.

"Damn commoners!"

"No respect for their betters."

"They're nothing more than peasants!"

"Meh."

"Who do they think pays them?"

"If they're citizens of the Kingdom, they should do as they're told!"

"Perhaps the adamantite ranked adventurer Nabe of Darkness could give us some insight on this Immortal Emperor as a fellow magic caster," Ritton spoke up. A few nobles murmured in agreement.

"Very well then," the king said with a nod. "Raeven, will you be able to speak with her?"

"Of course," Raeven said as he bowed his head.

"Then the next time I see you all will be on Katze Plains," the king said as he stood up and left the room, closely followed by the nobles. Raeven sighed as he prepared to go home and wait for the so called "bandit raid" organized by his true master that would keep him from attending the battle.

* * *

Katze Plains. A barren, crimson wasteland that was almost always covered in fog. A bloody land of death devoid of all life and home to undead creatures. However, there was no mist now and the undead had dispersed with it. It was as if the land itself was welcoming the combatants of the Empire and the Kingdom as future undead. On opposite sides of the rugged terrain were two fortresses, one for the Empire and one for the Kingdom. As the Imperial Knights were marching about and making preparations, a man in full plate armor that was different from the rest of the soldiers of Baharuth rode up on horseback and unmounted. A few of the knights stopped what they were doing and stared at him wondering who he was. When he took off his helmet revealing his handsome features, they immediately recognized who he was. Nimble Arc Dale Anoch, one of the Four Knights. He was the picture of what everyone believed a knight should look like. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a calming demeanor. He usually would have a pleasant smile on his face but not today. Today he had to meet that monster Baziwood and Leinas told him about, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul.

"I seek your commanding officer, General Kabein of the Second Legion," Nimbe informed a nearby knight. "Do you know where I may find him?"

"Yes sir!" an imperial knight replied. "General Kabein is at his praetorium planning our offensive against the Kingdom. I can take you to him if you like."

"Very good," Nimble said with a nod. "Also, has the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul been sighted here?"

"No sir! The Immortal Emperor has not been sighted here!"

"Good, good," Nimble said with a sigh of relief. "Please take me to General Kabein, I must discuss the upcoming battle with him." After a minute or two of walking, Nimble found himself brought before a luxurious tent. Inside was a middle-aged man whose hair was pure white and had a kindly air about him who was hunched over a map accompanied by two guards. Although he was armored just like the other knights, he gave off a completely different vibe, similar to that of a noble but without the idiocy or arrogance. This was Natel Inyem Dale Kabein, leader of the Second Legion and a brilliant strategist. With him commanding the battle, the Second Legion had high morale and held great respect for him. In this situation, not only was Kabein responsible for the Second Legion, but the entire Imperial Army.

"Welcome Nimble," he greeted in a soft tone that didn't seem to suit a man of his position.

"Thank you for seeing me General Kabein," Nimble said as he approached.

"Think nothing of it," Kabein said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Although you picked a good time to come. It seems that the mist that usually covers this barren wasteland had dispersed as though it were welcoming you."

"I think the welcome isn't for me, but for the tragedy that is about to unfold," Nimble replied grimly. "I shudder to think of what may happen and I just can't shake the feeling that all of this was planned somehow."

"I know what you mean," Kabein sighed. "The death of the Kingdom's prince, the political situation with the nobles, and now this magic caster. It's like someone has been controlling both sides of the chess board. Forgive me but, can you explain to me what this war is meant to accomplish? Until now, it has been to exhaust the Kingdom's resources. Now it is to comprehensively defeat the Kingdom in battle and claim E-Rantel." Kabein stood up away from the map he had been hunched over up until now and crossed his arms. "We face the largest army the Kingdom has ever mustered in recorded history. I know our knights are more than a match for the average conscript fielded by the Kingdom, but they are fielded in staggering amounts and there are sure to be heavy casualties. All of this for the purpose of claiming E-Rantel and handing it over to the Immortal Emperor free of charge? Why?"

"Before I answer that, can we please make this a private conversation?" Nimble requested as he glanced at the two guards accompanying Kabein.

"Gentlemen, you are excused," Kabein stated with a frown, soliciting salutes from his men before they marched out. "Now can you tell me why I'm about to send my men out to die in this godforsaken wasteland?" Nimble sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking.

"The objective of this war is to build a good relations with the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul," Nimble informed Kabein. "As such we are to obtain E-Rantel at any cost and relinquish control of the city immediately to Lucifer Dracul in order to strengthen ties with both sides."

"So my men will earn the Immortal Emperor's allegiance through the spilling of blood?" Kabein asked with a frown. "Is he really worth all that?"

"Yes."

"Very well," Kabein sighed. "If it is his majesty's desire then I shall carry out my orders."

"Thank you, General."

"There is no need for gratitude, although my approval of the Immortal Emperor is another matter."

"About that, I have a request on behalf of his majesty," Nimble spoke up since this was his main reason for coming here. "At the start of the battle, the Immortal Emperor is going to cast a spell in order to create an opening for your men."

"Aren't we supposed to buy his sympathy with our blood?" Kabein asked.

"Yes," Nimble replied with a nod. "However, we also intend to investigate just how powerful the Immortal Emperor really is. As such, we have asked him to use the most powerful spell he is capable of using. Emperor Jircniv wishes to see what manner of magic that may be."

"So Dracul is an enemy?" Kabein asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"It seems you understand," Nimble responded. "Lucifer Dracul is without a doubt an enemy of the Baharuth Empire and what's more disturbing is that he is far more powerful than Fluder Paradyne." Kabein's eyes widened when he heard that.

"That is quite shocking to hear. I can see why his majesty wants to build good relations with him," Kabein said just as a knight barged in.

"Sirs!" he exclaimed with a salute. "A carriage flying the colors of the Immortal Emperor has arrived! Shall we grant them entry?"

"Let them in," Kabein replied. "Come Nimble, let us meet this Immortal Emperor." Nimble gulped as he followed Kabein out of the tent and towards where the Imperial Knights were gathered. They could see a carriage approaching swiftly.

"Present your arms to our guest!" Nimble ordered. The knights looked confused. Things like this were usually set in more formal surroundings, not a military base. The only person it would ever make sense to do this for would be their own monarch. A foreign leader? Unheard of.

"You heard the man didn't you? Present arms when the Immortal Emperor approaches," Kabein ordered. The soldiers quieted down a bit. If it was an order all they had to do was follow it. The carriage finally stopped in front of them causing everyone to gasp. It made the Emperor's royal carriage look like a hay wagon. It was a black that was so dark it seemed to be cut from the night sky. Combined with the golden embroidery, it made them think of a giant treasure box. The other reason they gasped was because the beast that was pulling the carriage was monstrous. It was reptilian in nature with rippling bands of muscle prominent under its scales. It was constantly growling, giving all an unpleasant view of its sharp, jagged teeth. The flag on the carriage was blood red and had a fanged black skull with bat wings on the sides of its head emblazoned upon it. Finally, the carriage door opened and a beautiful woman with blue hair stepped out.

"Lord Dracul," she called back into the carriage. "We've arrived."

"Thank you Avenir," came a soft, cold, commanding tone. From out of the carriage, another woman with silver hair emerged followed by death given human form. He was dressed in black, had a high collar red cloak, a cold smile, and soulless red eyes that looked at them all as if they were insects. In his hand was a strange but magnificent staff that had an aura of death swirling around it. The air turned somber as the Imperials gazed upon the vampire, the Immortal Emperor.

"Company!" Kabein roared. Gone was the soft voice he usually spoke in and now it was a crisp bark that suited a general like himself. "Present arms to the Immortal Emperor!"

"Sir!" the knights shouted as they raised their swords to the sky and bowed.

"Thank you for your welcome, Imperial Knights," Lucifer said uncaringly. Every human present shivered. To them, it felt like something monstrous was trying to pretend to be human. The feeling only got worse every time someone dared to look at those red eyes that seemed to look through their skin and right into their very soul.

"Please raise your heads," Kabein commanded. No one moved. "Can you not raise your heads?" This time, everyone rose. After all, waiting for a third time was an honor only granted to one's own monarch. "My apologies your Excellency. My men were so overwhelmed by your presence that they forgot themselves."

"Do not be concerned," Lucifer said as he just walked past them with a smirk, causing dread to well up inside the knights. He walked to a clearing where there was absolutely nothing, with all of the Imperials turning their heads to watch him. "[Gate]," he said as he raised his hand. A swirling black mass emerged from out nothing and then from out of the darkness came monsters. Death Knights, Skull Knights, Dark Paladins, Vampire Knights, Death Warriors and Soul Eaters emerged from the blackness. The Immortal Emperor's army had arrived. "Now then, when can we get started?"

* * *

The captain of the Holocaust Scripture, Oskar Atrenn, stiffened when he saw Lucifer emerge from the carriage. He and five of his fellow Holocaust Scripture members had been watching from a ridge about a mile away. He and his men stared at the scene for a few moments before he finally spoke up.

"This may be our only chance to rid the world of this infidel," he said in a drawling voice as he looked back at his fellow assassins. "Although he is formidable, there is nothing he can do against a knife in the back."

"S-s-sir!" one of his men cried out. "Look!" Atrenn looked back to see the army that had been summoned. Some of them he had no idea what they were but the others he recognized from legends.

 _Death Knights? Soul Eaters? By the gods that's impossible. It must be some form of illusion!_

"It is an illusion," he snapped. "And it has nothing to do with our mission. Prepare to infiltrate the Imperial camp and kill that monster!"

* * *

Gazef was highly disturbed. Apparently, there was an ongoing bandit raid on Marquis Raeven's Estate that forced him to be unable to attend the battle. This meant that overall command fell to Marquis Bowlrob who had been filled to the point of bursting with pride, arrogance, and military bravado all day. He was parading around in front of the three columns of the Kingdom's forces telling them not to fear Lucifer. The central column of the Kingdom's forces was made up of 150,000 soldiers while the columns on the right and left of it each had 75,000 soldiers. Currently, Gazef was where he should be: with his king. His very angry, vengeful, borderline psychotic king. With him was an increasingly uncomfortable Climb, who had chosen to keep his armor white so that anything he accomplished on the battlefield would be Renner's accomplishments as well, and Brain who was just here to keep Climb from doing anything stupid. Additionally, there were several nobles gathered around, mostly the ones Gazef hated like Volumlash and Ritton. Bowlrob was up at the front making sure he was seen as the leader of this army. Approximately twenty minutes ago, the Imperial and Royal emissaries had met and made ridiculous demands of each other just to show that each side was willing to avoid war until the very end. It was only symbolic.

"What's taking those bastards so long?" Brain muttered. "Don't they usually attack by now?" Gazef made a humming noise as he nodded. Every other time a battle had taken place on Katze Plains, the Empire would parade in front of the Kingdom's troops, they would exchange a few blows, and then everyone would go home.

"Where is he? Where is Lucifer?" Rampossa kept asking as he stared at the Imperial forces with a thirst for the blood of his son's killer.

"Look!" Climb shouted as he pointed toward the center of the Imperial column. They had parted and split the column in half. What were they doing? Were they going to try attacking from two sides? Then they saw it, a monstrous regiment full of undead creatures. Gazef recognized the Death Knights, who were mounted on Soul Eaters, from the battle at Carne Village. Above their heads flew a flag that had a black fanged skull with bat wings depicted on it.

"What are those ghastly things?" Ritton asked snidely.

"The Empire is using monsters?" Volumlash asked with a fearful expression on his face. "That is rather surprising."

"No, those are the armies of Lucifer Dracul," Gazef said grimly.

"I don't know what most of those monsters are," Brain said grimly. "But I know what they are riding. Those are Soul Eaters."

"What are Soul Eaters, Brain?" Climb asked as he shook with fear.

"They're monsters that, according to the reports, they once appeared in the Beastmen Kingdoms," Brain said as he slowly turned pale.

"How many casualties were there?" Gazef asked as Volumlash and Ritton listened in, although they wouldn't admit to listening to commoners.

"100,000," Brain grimaced. "A mere three Soul Eaters devastated the city and it became known as the Silent City of legend."

"And they're out there? In those numbers?" Climb asked weakly.

"Impossible," Volumlash breathed. Rampossa didn't seem to care and kept grumbling about Lucifer Dracul and how he needs to die.

"HOW CAN THEY SERVE THAT FILTHY COMMMONER!? No, it can't be. Please no. I'm too rich to die in a cesspit like this!" Ritton panicked as he started breathing heavily. As they continued to stare at the army of the Immortal Emperor, two beautiful women walked forward. One, Brain recognized from the Demonic Disturbance: his apparent relative Avenir Unglaus. The other was…

"THAT'S SHALLTEAR FUCKING BLOODFALLEN!" Brain screamed. Climb and Gazef's eyes widened as they remembered all that Brain had told them about her. If she was a vampire of immeasurable power who served Lucifer who was also a vampire, then that would mean…..

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Volumlash gulped. He turned back to look at Ritton, but he was gone. He had already jumped on his horse and fled like a coward.

"Attention humans!" Shalltear's voice echoed across the wasteland. "You have unlawfully taken control of my father's land!" Brain gulped when he heard the word "father". "Should your king bow and hand over our territory, you may yet be forgiven. Now kneel! All hail the father of all vampires! The God of Life and Death! The Antichrist! The Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul!" As she finished her little speech, a familiar man with red eyes and a cold smirk swaggered over to the front of the formation from in between the ranks of monsters. King Rampossa's eyes went mad with fury as he saw the man he hated more than he ever thought it was possible to hate someone. Lucifer Dracul.

"NO RETREAT! KILL HIM!" Rampossa yelled at the Kingdom's troops who stared back at him dumbfounded. "HE MUST PAY FOR WHAT HE'S DONE! KILL HIM NOW! WE DO NOT LEAVE THIS BATTLEFEILD UNTIL THAT MURDERING SONUVA BITCH IS DEAD!" The conscripts looked at one another. In their eyes, Barbro got what was coming to him and Lucifer was a hero. However, they knew that they would be charged with treason and killed if they disobeyed a royal decree so they readied their weapons. Lucifer simply spread his arms and began a Super-Tier Spell. The last glimpse of the setting sun shone red light from behind him, making his shadow cast onto the plains look similar to the shadow of an upside-down cross. Magic circles appeared around him, lighting up the plains.

 _If there were any players among them they would've attacked by now. I know they won't bow so let's get this over with. The most of these I ever summoned back in Yggdrasil was two. But combined with the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown and the rules of this new world, what will the results that this spell produces be? It's playtime._

This was the day the last remnants of his humanity truly died, and Lucifer Dracul was all that was left.

"[la Shub-Niggurath]!" he exclaimed with an evil grin. The Super-Tier spell activated and a black wind blew toward the Kingdom's left column. Out of the 300,000 soldiers the Kingdom had gathered, 75,000 were in the left column. And now they were all dead.

Every. Last. One.

* * *

The Holocaust Scripture stared with their jaws agape. They had been moving close, with twenty meters of the target now, when they saw that. All hope had left them.

"By the Six it shouldn't be possible," one of Atrenn's men said.

"The power of the gods," another muttered.

"We're going to die," yet another said, practically sobbing.

"Men," Atrenn looked at his fellow assassins, with whom he had never failed a mission, with tear filled eyes. "Let's just go home. The mission is aborted."

* * *

The Imperials were shaking in their boots. They knew he was supposed to be powerful, but they couldn't imagine that this would've ever happened. 75,000 souls extinguished like they were nothing. The knights had the horrible realization that Lucifer Dracul was a being who could take the empires forged by man and obliterate them the way a child kicks down a sandcastle. What made it even worse was that this man was building his country right next to their own and he may one day set his sights on the Baharuth Empire where there friends and families lived. They felt sick. Nimble, stared at the scene in horror when a thought popped into his mind. What kind of face was the vampire making? Slowly, he looked up at Lucifer's face in curiosity. To his shock, Lucifer's face hadn't changed a bit. Same cold smile, same soulless red eyes. He wasn't happy nor was he sad, he just didn't care.

 _How? How can this be possible? How can someone like him just not care? HOW CAN HE BE SO CALM? He just killed 75,000 people! I know that a battlefield is a place of death and the weak losing their lives is inevitable. But still, shouldn't he at least feel SOMETHING in his heart after killing so many? DOES HE EVEN HAVE A HEART IN THERE!? Is this indifference some kind of defense mechanism? No, it must be that he's done horrible things like this before! Whether it's pity humans feel when they step on an ant or some kind of sadistic joy, none of these emotions are present! Why is this happening? What did we do to deserve his existence? WHY DOES SOMEONE LIKE HIM EXIST IN THE WORLD!?_

"How long are you going to keep staring at me human?" a cold voice interrupted his thoughts. Nimble let out an unmanly squeal and jumped.

"I'm sorry," Nimble choked out. "I was just so captivated by that spell."

"Yes. Unfortunate but necessary," Lucifer said, not even attempting to mask the fact that his remorse was completely false as he let out a small chuckle. "However, the spell is yet to be completed."

"Huh?"

 **"** **Now comes the fun part,"** Lucifer snickered in his true voice, which made Nimble think that it was evil given a voice.

* * *

The king had lost his voice when he saw the carnage. Gazef could understand why. So much death, he didn't want to believe it. Volumlash had gone comatose, simply staring at the carnage and drooling. His mind had ceased to function.

"W-w-we must- we must k-kill-," the king stuttered out as he began to sob. "I'm never going to be able to avenge my son. Not against that." He was crying openly now, with no sense of hope. He fully understood now that there was nothing he could do against Lucifer Dracul.

"We need to retreat right this goddamn minute!" Gazef bellowed. But no one reacted. They were all staring at the sky. Gazef, wondering what they were looking at, looked up too. It was bizarre. There was a giant black sphere floating in the air, its very presence seemed to pollute the world. It was growing larger and larger, until eventually it fell to the earth. It burst like a water balloon and some sort of sticky fluid that was like liquefied darkness swallowed up the dead soldiers. After another few moments, a vast black tree grew out of the corrupted ground, but instead of branches there were tentacles. The adorable sound of several bleating goats rang out. As if drawn by the sound, the ground buckled and writhed as it gave birth to something horrible and unnatural. Ten meters in height, although if one added the tentacles on its back the number became unclear, and its body was shaped like a turnip. It had numerous black tentacles, five legs tipped with black hooves, and its body was made out of a massive thick slab of meat. Multiple fissures appeared on its body creating mouths as the sounds of goats bleating erupted from those mouths. These creatures were the Dark Young of the Black Goat. And there were eight of them. As the last red rays of sunlight disappeared and the plains became enveloped in darkness, Lucifer started laughing like an absolute madman (anyone ever watch Hellsing Ultimate? It's that laugh Alucard makes after he kills Rip van Winkle).

"Marvelous!" he exclaimed. "Throughout all of history I may be the only one to ever summon eight Dark Young at once! My thanks to all those who have perished here today!"

"Congratulations father!" Shalltear cheered as she jumped up and down clapping. Avenir, like the rest of those gathered on the plains, had an expression of fear on her face. Nimble looked like he was going to vomit. The sound of armor clattering arose from the Imperials. They had already been scared out of their wits, but when they heard that evil laughter, they wanted to just curl up and cry. They all had the same wish, the same prayer. They prayed that the wrath of Lucifer Dracul would never fall upon them. Lucifer was ecstatic to have the chance to simultaneously command eight Dark Young, which was something he could not do in Yggdrasil.

"Slaughter them," he ordered coldly. On his command, the Dark Young began a quick but ridiculous looking five-legged gait. It was like a frantic tangle of movement and energy, and from a certain point of view it could be considered comical. That is, as long as they weren't headed straight for you.

[Ah yes, I almost forgot. There are a few people we need to let walk away from this battle alive…]

* * *

"This isn't real, is it?"

"I ain't going out like a bitch!"

"I don't wanna…"

"We're all going to die!"

"I want to wake up now."

"Meh."

"This is a fucking nightmare."

"Get your spears up!" a half mad nobleman started to scream shrilly as he foamed at the mouth. "Spears up! Get your fucking spears up! GET YOUR SPEARS UP IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" The Kingdom's soldiers raised their spears and planted the spears' butts into the ground so that the enemy's speed would only hurt them. But then again, did they really think that would work against these monsters? The Dark Young broke through the hedge of spears with ease. It was like a truck smashing into a swarm of rats. They raised their hooves and brought them down on the pitiful humans, trampling them underfoot and flattening them. As soon as the soldiers realized that there was nothing they could do against these creatures, they threw their spears to the ground and fled as fast as they could. They couldn't outrun those hooves thought. If it was any consolation, there was no pain. They were dead before they can even feel the pain. The plains were filled with the sounds of bones cracking, bodies splattering, screaming, flying meat chunks, and humans being trampled to a pulp.

"Lucifer Dracul," Volumlash whispered as a Dark Young came for him. "What are you?" Those were the last words he ever spoke as a Dark Young flattened him like he was nothing. Rich or poor, old or young, it didn't matter. The Dark Young gave everyone the same treatment: Death.

"Run!"

"NONONONONO!"

"Dammit! I was two days from retirement!"

"I don't want to die!"

"Fuck you, gods!"

"I don't deserve this!"

"Meh."

"I'm too rich to die here!"

"Not like this!"

"Just kill me already, pussy!"

The Imperials were outright crying as they watched the horrible massacre taking place before their very eyes. They weren't afraid, they were beyond afraid. They felt like the life had been sapped from them and all that was good in the world was dead. They could practically feel the coldness of Lucifer's nonexistent heart in the air, chilling them to the bone. So wretched was this bloodbath they prayed that at least some of their enemies, the Kingdom's soldiers, would survive. This could not be dismissed as a simple matter of "us vs them". Sure, from point of view of the Empire and the Kingdom this was happening to "them" but from the point of view of monsters and humans this was happening to "us".

"You seem displeased," Lucifer said calmly as he turned towards the Imperials. "Were you expecting more? After all, you did ask me to do this." As he said those last words, his face twisted into an evil grin that proudly displayed his fangs. Lucifer was enjoying how he could make the Imperial Soldiers feel guilty when the Empire really did, after all, ask him to use a devastating spell against the Kingdom. Everyone would fear Lucifer for having such power but they would hate Jircniv for requesting that such a power be used and Rampossa would be accused of sending his people to die in droves in some mad quest for revenge. "Cheer if you think that this was enough, Otherwise I will have to use more spells to achieve the desired effect." The knights stiffened as they realized what he was saying. They didn't want to applaud a monster who brought such cruel butchery with him. This wasn't war, it was a massacre, the beginning of what they felt was the systematic annihilation of all that was good in the world. They immediately started clapping and cheering, not just because they didn't want him to cause any more bloodshed, but because three of the Dark Young were headed this way. The closer they got, the louder the knights cheered and applauded. But the Dark Young didn't slow down. Finally, the knights snapped and started screaming and running. Those who were too slow were pushed out of the way, those who fell were trampled by their fellow knights, anything to get further away from the monsters and Lucifer Dracul. It was a disgraceful retreat. The Imperial Army's casualties were not caused by enemies, but by themselves. Of course, not everyone had fled. Nimble, Kabein, and a few hundred knights remained. The Dark Young stopped abruptly before their master and bent their front legs, bowing to him in submission. As he petted the gore caked creature, Lucifer turned his head back to Nimble. "Are your men not going to make their assault?" Nimble's heart stopped. The Empire had broken the terms of the agreement they had made with the Immortal Emperor, the terms they themselves had made.

"I-I don't-" Nimble stuttered out.

"Do not fear," Lucifer said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "If you did indeed launch an assault while these little lambs were running amok, there would be a chance of your men getting trampled along with the enemy. Because of that, I will take things from here." Nimble looked over the undead army, which hadn't moved an inch.

"Will your forces be making an assault then?" Nimble managed to ask coherently.

"No, no, no," Lucifer chuckled. "These little lambs have taken care of that for the most part. It's all clean up from here. Shalltear, Avenir, mount a Dark Young and follow me. There is still work to be done!" he commanded as he floated onto the back of a Dark Young. Shalltear immediately hopped on closely followed by Avenir, who was reluctant to touch the monster.

"It's not enough? Does he want to exterminate everyone on the battlefield?" Nimble asked himself. "Is he a demon?" Lucifer laughed, making a trembling Nimble realize he was speaking out loud.

"Do not be ridiculous. I am undead," Lucifer stated coldly. Nimble started to sweat as he thought about the implications that statement had. He wasn't a demon who exalted the idea of evil, but rather he was simply undead and he hated the living. This meant it was most likely only a matter of time until his sights were set on the Empire. He looked up to see if Lucifer had anything else to say only to find him and his two companions had taken off on the backs of the Dark Young.

* * *

Back at the base camp of the King Rampossa, the remaining nobles had gathered along with a few others. Marquis Bowlrob was nowhere to be seen and King Rampossa was sobbing. Gazef, Brain, Climb, Gazef's vice-captain of the warrior band, and two or three additional soldiers were all that was left of the armed force in this area.

"Leave me behind!" the king shouted. "This is all my fault!"

"Your majesty, please calm yourself!" Climb exclaimed.

"There's nothing we can do here anyway!" Gazef roared. "The best we can hope for is to retreat to safety and prepare a counterattack! These monsters target large groups so fleeing on horseback is out of the question!"

"Gazef!" the vice-captain shouted. "Protect his majesty! Some of the men and I will lure the creatures away from the rest of you!"

"Brave, but foolish," a cold voice echoed over to them. They looked up to see three Dark Young slowly clamber over. Atop one of them stood Lucifer Dracul. "Gazef, my friend. We really must top meeting like this. The corpses are a bit distracting."

"Lucifer," the king sobbed. The hatred he had held for the vampire in front of them was nowhere to be seen. All he felt was an absence of hope.

"Kneel before your god, humans!" Shalltear proclaimed as she jumped down from her Dark Young, eliciting an "eek" from Brain as he backed up. "Don't I know you?" Shalltear asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Nope," Brain lied immediately, being so scared of Shalltear that it made him want to puke.

"Please surrender," Avenir said as she elegantly hopped down from the Dark Young she had been riding. "I don't want to see any more bloodshed today,"

"Yes," Lucifer said as floated down from his own Dark Young with his hands folded behind his back. "It would be a shame if my beautiful little lambs had to go frolicking through your capitol." As he said these words, the Dark Young he and his children had dismounted began to circle the group of the Kingdom's men. Three Dark Young behind them and three powerful vampires in front of them. This wasn't looking good.

"Brain, what are we going to do?" Climb asked shakily.

"We're going to die," Brain sighed as Lucifer leisurely walked towards Gazef.

"Now Gazef, I have an offer for you," he said in his usual cold voice as he held out his hand. "Serve me. Become a vampire like me and help me bring a new order to this vile world. Agree to this, and….." he snapped his fingers and the five Dark Young that were still running around pulverizing the Royal Army halted the carnage. "….. my little lambs will cease their attack and allow you all to return home alive. Refuse, and we'll kill you all."

"I will not betray my king!" Gazef declared as he rushed towards Lucifer with his sword, Razor Edge, drawn. The moments he gets too close, Lucifer smacked him away, sending him tumbling across the dirt and finally stopping in front of King Rampossa. Lucifer simply raised an eyebrow at the entire exchange.

"You would rather die and sacrifice countless people for the sake of your ego?" Lucifer asked. Gazef, who was getting up, didn't know how to respond to that. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but your king is still right behind you. Killing him would be like taking candy from a baby. Now Gazef, join me or I'll make you watch me kill your king and all of your friends who are gathered here before I turn you into a vampire and make you serve me anyway. I will get what I want, I'm just giving you the option to come quietly and save your friends. Or do you actually think you stand a chance against me?" Gazef grimaced as he realized he was backed into a metaphorical corner. Lucifer would get what he wanted either way and Gazef didn't stand a chance against him. The fact that he was offering to let everyone else go was nothing short of charity.

"It's okay Gazef," King Rampossa said bitterly. "This is all my fault anyway. I am not a king deserving of your loyalty." With that, he turned to look at Lucifer Dracul with eyes full of sorrow. "Did my son really do those horrible things you said?"

"Yes," Lucifer replied bluntly.

"It was all for nothing, wasn't it?"

"Obviously. Are you coming Gazef?" Lucifer asked the Warrior Captain.

"One moment," Gazef said as he turned to Climb. "Take this, you'll need it to protect Princess Renner," he said as he handed Razor Edge to Climb.

"Are you done?" Lucifer asked as he gestured for Gazef to come to him. Gazef nodded in response and walked over, trying to keep calm. "Good, let us be off. King Rampossa, my forces and I will move into E-Rantel and the surrounding region in one month. Your forces had better be gone by then, otherwise I will recreate this scene in Re-Estize." Gazef stood before Lucifer and took a deep breath as Lucifer grabbed him and sunk his fangs into the former Warrior Captain. Gazef cried out in pain while King Rampossa, Brain, Climb, and the reaming members of the Kingdom stared in horror.

* * *

"I can't believe that just happened," Climb said with a vacant look in his eyes.

"Hmm," Brain grunted, berating himself for not asking Avenir why her last name was Unglaus when he had the chance. But then again, in his line of work he was bound to cross the Immortal Emperor's path again, which would lead him to her. "He wasn't joking when he called himself immortal."

"None of this would've happened if I hadn't been so blinded by revenge," King Rampossa sighed.

"No, I think that Lucifer orchestrated all of this," Brain interjected.

"Yes! You can tell that to our people your highness, that way we can-" Climb started, but the king raised his hand to cut him off.

"He's turned the people against their leaders, Climb," the king sighed. "Anything I tell the people, no matter how true, will just sound like an excuse. The best course of action would be to apologize for my rash behavior and abdicate the throne."

"This isn't the end, is it?" Climb asked sullenly.

"Probably not," Brain replied with a grim expression on his face. "A vampire has declared himself a ruler and has unimaginable power. Jaldabaoth is still running around gods know where, and a new country has been founded. The Slane Theocracy is bound to get involved, not to mention the Holy Kingdom of Roble. I'd say this isn't the end, it's only the beginning."

"No matter what, I will protect Princess Renner!" Climb declared.

"I just hope Gazef won't suffer too much under that monster's rule," the disgraced king stated as he looked up at the night's sky.

* * *

One month had passed since the events of Katze Plains. Today was the day that E-Rantel would become the first official city to join the Eternal Empire. The people of E-Rantel were awaiting the arrival of their new emperor. They had mixed thoughts about him. Some, especially those who were poor or were abused by the nobles, thought of him as a hero of the people while others thought that he was a mass murdering monster. Many had fled in fear, but not as many as there would have if it wasn't for his appearance in Re-Estize. Everyone held their breath waiting for the Immortal Emperor's arrival until the first bells rang, signaling the opening of the first city gates. A few minutes passed before the second gates opened, signaled by the second set of bells. Finally, the third set of bells rang and the gates that everyone had their eyes glued to swung open. The rumors they heard about him immediately started to float about in their heads as they saw the Death Knights, Dark Paladins, and Clockwork Soldiers begin marching in.

They said he was dedicated to justice.

They said he was a vampire who would suck the blood from children.

They said he didn't care how rich the nobles were he would make them pay for their misdeeds.

They said he massacred the Royal Army while laughing.

They said he cared about the common people.

They said he was evil incarnate.

Many of these rumors didn't fit together so everyone watched carefully to make their own judgements. Finally, a group of Dark Paladins carrying a palanquin marched through the gates. Upon the palanquin was a throne, the back of the throne shaped like a coffin, and upon it were two figures, a man and a woman. The woman was sitting sideways in the man's lap and was absolutely beautiful. Yellow eyes, white dress, black hair, black wings spouted from her waist and curved horns from her head. The more keen eyed individuals could make out a baby bump on her stomach. The man whose lap she sat on was death given human form. Dressed in black, had a high collar red cloak, a cold smile, black hair, pale skin, and soulless red eyes that seemed to peer into the hearts of all he looked at. They immediately knew who he was: the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul. He matched the more negative rumors about him and it terrified the people. Suddenly, a rock flew towards him. It would've connected with his face if he hadn't lifted his hand and caught it in the blink of an eye.

"Give me back my daddy, monster!" a little boy cried out as his pale faced mother finally caught up with him. She grabbed her son and hugged him to her as she shivered under the cold gaze of Lucifer Dracul.

"H-h-he's just a boy! I b-beg you forgive him your majesty!" she begged.

"No harm done. You and your son are free to go," Lucifer said with a charming smile. He hated putting on these acts, but compared to the painfully long time it would take him to seize control if he didn't, this was a small sacrifice. Those who were watching this were baffled. His appearance fit all of the negative rumors, yet his attitude coincided with the rumors that painted him in a more positive light. They didn't know how to feel about him.

"Th-thank you, your majesty," the mother said with a grateful bow as she backed away.

"That was unexpected," a heroic voice called out. Everyone turned to see the newcomer and recognized him instantly. A living legend, the Holy Hunter, a gentle hero with no fear, the Dark Knight Momon. "As a vampire I would've expected you to rip them apart."

 _Pandora's Actor really enjoys getting into character as Momon._

"It's true, some of my children have been poorly behaved," Lucifer said as he motioned for Albedo to move. She pouted but did what she was told and removed herself from his lap. Now that he was free to move, Lucifer floated down to Momon with his hands folded behind his back. "You are the Dark Knight Momon, correct?"

"I am," Momon grunted.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul," Lucifer pleasantly introduced himself. The citizens thought that this was surreal. A hero dedicated to hunting unholy monsters that threatened humanity was speaking with what would qualify as a vampire god.

"Let me just cut to the chase. Are you going to hurt these people? If you do then I will stand against you," Momon declared.

"I have no intention of committing any mindless acts of violence if that is what you're concerned about," Lucifer responded. "I understand your reluctance to trust a being such as myself so let me make you an offer."

"I'm listening."

"Become my personal bodyguard. By being at my side all the time you can ensure that I do not commit any actions that would harm the people of this city," Lucifer said. "And if I do in fact commit an atrocity you are not fond of, you will be there to cut my head off." The people who were listening were shocked. This vampire, who was supposed to hate the living and take joy from their demise, was offering the strongest adamantite ranked adventurer in recent history the chance to kill him if he crossed the line. The rumors that painted him in a more positive light were becoming more and more believable. Momon stared at Lucifer for a few moments before responding.

"I accept," he finally said.

"Wonderful," Lucifer smiled. "I believe this arrangement will lead to great things in the future." And with that, Lucifer floated back to his throne, sat down, allowed Albedo to hop back onto his lap, and signaled his forces to continue to march with Momon following them. The people tentatively came back out onto the streets. They weren't sure what they thought of their new emperor, but they believed that with Momon keeping an eye on him they were safe for now.

And thus E-Rantel was taken over peacefully with a population that didn't think their ruler would start killing them on a whim.

* * *

A hooded figure watched from a distance outside E-Rantel as the army of the Eternal Empire marched into the city. He had heard of Lucifer Dracul, but now that he had seen him for himself, he had confirmed his worst fears.

"Momonga, what the hell have you done?"

* * *

Bonus Story: Raeven's Reward

Raeven sat in his study with his head on his desk. Waiting. Just waiting. The massacre at Katze Plains was three days ago and he still hadn't received any word from Lucifer Dracul. He had told his servants not to disturb him unless he had a visitor. Since one of them was knocking on his door right now, he could only assume that his "visitor" had arrived. With a grunt, he stood up and opened the door.

"Yes?" he demanded.

"Sir, that strange man is here again," his butler said. Raeven's eyes widened.

"Tell everyone not to disturb me until he leaves!" he shouted as he ran towards his bedroom. Sure enough, Lucifer Dracul was already waiting for him there. Raeven gagged when he saw his wife's perfectly preserved corpse laying on the bed.

"You kept your part of the bargain so I shall keep mine," Lucifer stated as he drew a Wand of Resurrection from the folds of his cloak. He cast the spell on the woman's corpse and the two men waited. After about twenty seconds, she started to move. Raeven gasped and wrapped his arms around his wife, who was breathing again for the first time in months.

"Raeven?" she muttered. "What happened?" Raeven didn't respond and simply broke down into tears of joy as he thanked Lucifer over and over and over again.

"Just remember, Raeven," Lucifer spoke up. "You still have a lot of work to do and as easily as life can be given, it can just as easily be taken away. Remember that when you continue your work and remember what will happen if you fail me."

"Yes my lord! I swear I will not let you down!"

* * *

 **The reason I didn't finish this yesterday was because my computer randomly died on me and I wasn't able to get it to turn on until hours later. Also I did the math to figure out how many Dark Young would be summoned from the spell with the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown and the additional enemies.**

 **HAIL AND KILL**


	24. Empire Rising

Chapter 23: Empire Rising

The people of E-Rantel went about their daily business the same as usual. Merchants were selling their wares, traders exchanged goods, and blacksmiths were showing off their inventory. Still, they took care to avoid the hulking Death Knights that were stationed on every street now. The past two weeks had brought changes that the people had never dreamed of. When the forces of the Eternal Empire began patrolling the streets all violent crime suddenly died out. No one wanted to risk becoming a target for one of those monstrosities. There was now a large sign in the middle of the city. On it was what their new emperor called "The Eternal Doctrine" which listed out the basic rights that all sentient creatures had and the crimes that could see them stripped of those rights. Undead workers had been cleaning up any trash lying about digging up the old dirt roads and replacing them with stone bricks. New buildings were being constructed, existing buildings were being renovated, and actual architecture based off Nazarick was being implemented. E-Rantel was changing rapidly. Lucifer Dracul himself had taken up residence in the former mayor's manor and had sold most of the decorum in order to continue financing his lofty goals. The people still weren't sure if they could trust him, but their lives sure as hell weren't getting worse. An orphanage funded by the Eternal Empire had been set up practically overnight and a church dedicated to the God of Life and Death had sprung up from out of nowhere. The priests had attempted to incite a revolt and were arrested on the spot. Now everyone could only receive healing at the new church headed by Priestess Arche who was assisted by her two little sisters and an Elder Lich capable of using healing magic. The best part was, unlike the original churches, healing was free.

Within Dracul's manor, the usual proceedings that had been occurring for the past week had begun. Several commoners had been gathered and another trial was about to begin. When the nobles who had remained in E-Rantel heard that there would be no nobles under Lucifer's rule, they bawled like children and said that he couldn't do that. He did anyway. Not only that but he held trials for those abused their power over their former peasants. Out of the nobles, 25% used their positions responsibly and were acquitted, 50% were guilty of minor offenses and were forced to pay reparations, and another 25% were guilty of major offenses and were severely punished. An Elder Lich was now standing at podium in the front of the room that used to be for formal balls.

"Bring in the defendant back," the Elder Lich rasped. In response, a Death Knight dragged a noblewoman forward and made her kneel before the Elder Lich.

"Unhand me you freak! Your emperor cannot do this to us!" she shrieked.

"Waverly Stran," the Elder Lich continued, ignoring her. "You have been found guilty of extortion, sexual assault, murder, and conspiring with the Eight Fingers. You are hereby sentenced to be exiled. You will be stripped of all of your belongings and wealth before being tossed out into the world. You are no longer welcome in the Eternal Empire. Take her away." The Death Knight dragged the screaming woman away, demanding that they return her money. The people applauded as they watched another noble put in her place as the Elder Lich simply snickered. His master had given him explicit orders. The nobles that were either logical or useful could remain while everyone else, guilty or not, should be left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and thrown out into a harsh reality. The people would be content that their new government was doing something about the nobles past misdeeds and the money they confiscated would be used to continue to fund their more unethical procedures.

* * *

Arche and her sisters had just finished their morning prayer to the God of Life and Death at the table.

"Ok dig in," she said happily as Ulei and Kuude began devouring the food she had bought at the market. Arche couldn't believe that only a few months ago she and her friends were workers standing in Lucifer's way. She was so glad that they had ended up becoming his allies instead of his enemies. Hekkeran and Imina were now running a church similar to hers in Carne Village where they also gave lessons in combat and archery. As for whatever Lucifer was up to, she preferred not to know. His plans tended to sow seeds of chaos and death for whatever poor bastards were involved.

* * *

"My love," Albedo called as she entered Lucifer's office. "We have the reports you requested."

"Excellent," Lucifer replied as he leaned forward in his chair and started looking over the reports, not being able to keep himself from casting occasional glances at the highly noticeable bump on Albedo's stomach. "Proceed."

"Yes my lord," Albedo said as she straightened up. "We have implemented crop rotation just as you insisted and the Eight Fingers are moving the last of the food stockpiles out of Re-Estize. The resulting famine will lead to a civil war just as you predicted when the Noble Faction inevitably tries to hoard food for itself. Demiurge's work in the Holy Kingdom of Roble is nearing completion, Jigsaw is building the Dead House in Katze Plains, the resettlements of villages is being presented as an opportunity to the lower class as a chance to rise above their former low quality lives and get out of the slums which we are tearing down and implementing urban renewal, the Slane Theocracy has yet to retaliate, the Baharuth Empire's spies have reached Humanika, and the invitations to the first International Diet have been sent. However, upon moving into the city we found that most of its economy has been stolen and those fools from the Kingdom took all the wealth they could with them when they abandoned the city, but we had anticipated this. For the time being our focus should be revitalizing our economy while our undead labor takes care of the things they can. After all, they don't need to be paid."

"Thank you Albedo," Lucifer said, relieved that everything had come together so perfectly. "I have ten minutes before my meeting with Ainzach. Is there anything else we should discuss?"

"Well," Albedo spoke up with her eyes brightening. "We can go over some baby names!"

 _Oh fuck. I just dug my own grave. I can survive this. It's only for ten minutes._

"Very well, Albedo," Lucifer sighed. "Let's hear some suggestions."

* * *

"I can't believe the cardinals," Zesshi grumbled as leaned over a balcony that overlooked the training ground. She had been complaining to Corvo about this ever since the announcement of the founding of the Eternal Empire. "They're so afraid of a little vampire and they won't even let me go put him down. There's no way a simple vampire could ever take me on."

"And yet, all you do is sit here and mope about it," Corvo said gruffly. "If you are so confident in your ability to eliminate the Immortal Emperor then what is stopping you? Or is this all talk?" Zesshi growled lightly in response. No one in the Theocracy ever DARED to talk to her like that. As a God-kin she qualified as an object of worship and therefore saying such things to her were tantamount to heresy. But in all honesty, it was pleasant change of pace instead of having people praise her like she was a holy symbol or disguising the disgusted looks on their faces whenever her hair moved in a way that showed her ears. That was part of why she hung out with Corvo: he didn't give a flying fuck.

"Yeah, yeah, do you think you could beat him then?" she asked, ignoring his comment.

"Not a chance in hell," Corvo grunted. Zesshi laughed at his response as she hopped up to sit on the balcony's railing and face Corvo's scowling face.

"I'm starting to enjoy your company, Mr. Attano," she said with a grin as Corvo raised an eyebrow.

"You're not hitting on me are you?" he asked bluntly.

"No way. You are the single most aggravating man I've ever met," Zesshi deadpanned. "Any woman who's into you must be out of her mind."

* * *

Jessamine glared through her binoculars as she watched Zesshi and Corvo's conversation. Her usual happy-go-lucky demeanor was gone and an aura of pure fury radiated from her, making everyone else in the café sit as far away from her as possible.

"What the fuck is she doing with my man?"

* * *

"Besides, I'm not into men anyway," Zesshi huffed.

"So you're a lesbian?" Corvo asked in his usual gruff demeanor. An "oh crap I said that out loud" look emerged on Zesshi's face for a few seconds before her expression turned to one of annoyance as she turned to look at Corvo.

"No, it's not that. I'm only interested in a good fight. Good food, warm beds, romance, family, none of that matters as long as I can find an opponent worth fighting!" Zesshi declared as she raised her fist.

"So you're just turned on by whoever can kick your ass?" Corvo asked as he tilted his head with a deadpan expression. "Masochist."

"I hate you," Zesshi sulked. "By the way, have you noticed that there have been a lot more people getting sick lately? It looks like something is going around."

"No, I haven't seen anything like that," Corvo lied. It was definitely not a good idea to tell an enemy that he had set his few thousand plague rats loose and had them scuttling about all over Humanika. They were in the stores, they were in the cathedrals, they were in the streets, and they were everywhere. Seen yet unseen. A few people had picked up on the increase in rats but assumed it wasn't as many as they thought and that they had come in on a trade caravan or something. People were starting to get sick and no one had a clue that the rats were responsible. Not yet anyway. The Rat Plague had been unleashed.

* * *

"Hurry up ya bloody wankers!" Jigsaw shouted as he repeatedly stabbed the zombie he was sitting on with a broken spear he found lying around. The thing was already dead, it was just fun for him. Before him was an army of low level skeletons working on the construction of a massive factory in the middle of Katze Plains. Why? Katze Plains was a land of the dead. It would keep the living away as they worked on their secret project AND provide them with more undead to serve their master.

"Sir," a familiar female voice called out. He turned to find his Bride of Frankenstein: Clementine. She had changed drastically from her time in his lab. Mix and matched bits of flesh were grafted onto her and she now wore a black uniform similar to Pandora's Actor's clothing. "Construction of the foundations and lower levels are complete. Shall we proceed with the assembly lines?"

"Yes! Do so immediately!" Jigsaw exclaimed absolutely ecstatic. After all this time, he would finally have his own factory. The workshop back in Nazarick was one of a kind and he would surely miss it, but there were some things that took more space and a bigger workforce to accomplish. For example: mass production of Clockwork Soldiers, and that was exactly one of the things he was going to do here. The Elder Liches that accompanied him had put the all the undead that always stalked Katze Plains under their control and put them to work as an undead labor force. So many things he would be able to do and he wouldn't have to worry about the Kingdom at all! The Total Maniac Bombs planted all over their capitol would see to that. It was only a matter of time before a full blown civil war was kicked off.

* * *

Demiurge watched the village from the distance. Hidden in the trees, his Evil Lord were summoning hordes of demons. This would be the fifth village in the Holy Kingdom he, or rather Jaldabaoth, attacked. The humans were going about their regular, meaningless lives completely ignorant of reality.

"My lord," Lord Wrath spoke up. "We are ready." Demiurge smirked as he slipped on his Jaldabaoth mask.

"Good," he chuckled. "Round them up and try to keep them in one piece. Their corpses are needed to expand our military after all. [Flames of Gehenna]!" As he activated the spell, a wall of flames surrounded the village, catching the villagers off guard and making them believe that they were trapped. Before they could even think of what to do in this situation, hordes of demons jumped through the flames and into the village, laughing maniacally. As the villagers started screaming and running, Jaldabaoth calmly walked through the flames with his arms folded behind his back. "Make sure a few of the children escape. They wouldn't make decent Death Knights or resources and we need to make sure that everyone knows that this was Jaldabaoth's doing anyway."

* * *

"Let us begin," the Cardinal of Earth said with a sigh. "Our first topic is the founding of the Eternal Empire of the Immortal Emperor, Lucifer Dracul, in the fortress city of E-Rantel. Additionally, the report we have received from the captain of the Holocaust Scripture, Oskar Atrenn, confirms that Lucifer Dracul is indeed a vampire."

"I knew we shouldn't have let this catastrophe happen!" the Cardinal of Light exclaimed. "We should have sent our army to wipe him out! Not only is he a blasphemous monster, but he doesn't even have the decency to hide in some hovel until humanity can wipe his kind out! Arrogant monster had upset the natural order and must be punished immediately!"

"Are you completely insane?" the Cardinal of Wind asked in frustration. "You heard the same rumors we did. The Immortal Emperor has control of a Death Knight and to charge into a fight with one of those things is suicide. Although I didn't think he would actually establish a nation."

"What of the Empire?" Maximus asked. "Are they collaborators or are they being controlled by magic?"

"Unclear," the Cardinal of Darkness replied. "They couldn't have been mind-controlled with Fluder there, but they have sent some of their men here to set up a meeting with their Emperor. It appears he wishes to explain himself."

"Your holiness, you summoned me?" a familiar voice called out. The cardinals turned to see Ruvik enter the room. His hair was disheveled and he hadn't shaved in a while. His looked like he was either a man who was thinking about suicide or was half asleep.

"Yes, Ruvik," the Cardinal of Water said with a remorseful face. "We have acquired information on your former teammate Avenir." Ruvik's eyes shot open and he stared at the cardinals.

"Is she alive?" he demanded.

"Yes," the Cardinal of Earth replied. "She was present at Katze Plains during the massacre."

"So she is a prisoner?" Ruvik asked as he furrowed his brows and scowled.

"We do not know for certain," the Cardinal of Fire answered. "I doubt that Thousand Leagues Astrologer would betray us. She was always such a good girl."

"Who knows what that abomination of an emperor could have offered her," the Cardinal of Light sneered. "She was always too soft to make the hard choices." Ruvik wanted to beat the cardinal to a pulp but restrained himself for Avenir's sake.

"Ruvik, do you know where Zur has run off to?" the Cardinal of Wind asked. "We heard that he has gone missing."

"He said he had gone to commence reconnaissance of Lucifer Dracul and the city of E-Rantel," Ruvik reported. "I haven't heard from him since." The cardinals sighed in response.

"Reconnaissance is not his job," the Cardinal of Light muttered.

"We will deal with Zur's departure at another time. Atrenn's report on the events of Lucifer's actions at Katze Plains has finally arrived. I apologize for the delay but it seems he and his men were so terrified that they wouldn't say a word after they got back. It took some time to coax it out of them," the Cardinal of Darkness said as he levitated the reports to his fellow cardinals. The cardinals started reading the report and after a few minutes, they came to the same page and their faces turned pale.

"This is impossible!" the Cardinal of Light yelled. "How could anything like that possibly exist?"

"I told you didn't I? This is just a description of what Atrenn and his team claimed to see," the Cardinal of Darkness said coldly. Ruvik glanced back and forth between the cardinals and the Archbishop, unsure of what was happening.

"Is this actually real?" the Cardinal of Fire asked.

"Every word, I'm afraid," the Cardinal of Darkness sighed. The other cardinals looked like they wanted to puke. The page they had stopped on was the makeup of the Eternal Empire's army.

"Hundreds of Death Knights, hundreds of Soul Eaters, hundreds of Elder Liches, and vampiric creatures we've never heard of?" the Cardinal of Wind groaned. "If they go berserk, it won't matter if it's the City-State Alliance, the Holy Kingdom, or the Kingdom. They'd be wiped out." Ruvik's eyes widened when he heard what kind of monsters had been surrounding Avenir.

"As would we," the Cardinal of Water sighed. "We would need centuries to rebuild after such an attack."

"Could it have been illusion magic?" the Cardinal of Light asked hopefully. "Perhaps the Immortal Emperor was aware of our assassins and used illusions to scare them off."

"No, the Holocaust Scripture is well versed in the use of illusion magic as it pertains to their assassination targets and the practice of guerilla warfare," the Cardinal of Wind said. "There is no way they would not recognize illusion magic. Additionally, we have confirmed reports of Death Knights in E-Rantel and patrolling their borders."

"Why did we have to make an enemy of Lucifer Dracul?" the Cardinal of Earth sighed.

"What should we do?" the Cardinal of Fire asked. "What is the best course of action for ourselves as the protectors of humanity? What can we do about hundreds, perhaps thousands of monsters each with the power to destroy a small country?"

"How could one upstart nation upset the balance of power so badly?" Maixmus grumbled.

"The real question is: What does the Immortal Emperor plan to do with such military power?" the Cardinal of Earth asked. "If he simply intends to defend his borders, then it shouldn't be a problem in the long term."

"It's far too much for just defense," the Cardinal of Water stated. "Besides, Lucifer Dracul is a vampire, an undead abomination who hates living. He will no doubt use his armies to begin harassing other countries and I doubt it will end there."

"It doesn't matter what he plans to do, rather we should focus on what we can do about it," the Cardinal of Darkness interjected.

"So can the Black Scripture handle this?" Maximus asked. The Cardinal of Earth let out a small, self-mocking chuckle.

"Speaking as a former member of the Black Scripture, I can say it's impossible," he sighed. "Anyone who would expect the Black Scripture to face enemies of that kind of power and in those numbers is a complete madman. It would be bad enough if they were present in equal numbers. But it's different for the God-kin," he said, finally smiling.

"Yes," the Cardinal of Light said with a triumphant look on his face. "Between Ruvik, Zesshi, and Corvo, if Maximilian's suspicions are correct, we should have no problem tearing that wretched army apart!" Most of the other cardinals let out a sigh of relief, except for the Cardinal of Darkness, Ruvik, and the Cardinal of Water.

"You're not telling us everything, are you Maximilian?" the Cardinal of Water asked.

"What do you mean Ginedine?" the Cardinal of Earth asked.

"Think about it Raymond. Why would the Holocaust Scripture, masters of gruesome guerilla warfare and heartless assassination be so terrified?" the Cardinal of Water asked. "They are no strangers to the dangers or horrors of the undead, or warfare in general. An army of Death Knights would just make them more cautious. Yet they abandoned their mission. Why? They saw something impossible, something beyond horrifying, something they felt not even a God-kin could beat."

"You are right, Ginedine," the Cardinal of Darkness stated. "It was not my intention to keep any relevant information from you, but if I had presented you with this information from the beginning I doubt you would believe it."

"So what is it?" the Cardinal of Fire asked.

"Are you aware of what transpired during the battle of Katze Plains?" the Cardinal of Darkness asked with narrowed eyes.

"From what I heard the Immortal Emperor used a powerful spell," Maximus spoke up. "As a result the Royal Army was routed and summarily defeated. Because of their defeat, the Kingdom ceded E-Rantel to the Eternal Empire for the founding of a nation."

"What of the number of casualties, Archbishop?" the Cardinal of Wind asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know. Priests and merchants don't travel to E-Rantel anymore since it is the heart of the Eternal Empire, ruled by an undead emperor." Maximus said with a shrug.

"Then here is what truly happened on Katze Plains," the Cardinal of Darkness interrupted before they could get side tracked, handing them each the parts of the report he removed. After another minute of reading, they turned paler than the last time. The Cardinal of Fire actually DID throw up this time.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE!?" the Cardinal of Light raged.

"Didn't I just explain this?" the Cardinal of Darkness sighed.

"You were right, Maximilian," the Cardinal of Wind sighed. "I never would've believed it, but after hearing the makeup of the Immortal Emperor's army I have no choice but to accept this as reality."

"Still, I don't want to believe this," the Cardinal of Fire said, shaking. "With just one spell, he killed over half of the Royal Army. They mobilized 300,000 men for this battle and according to the Kingdom, only about 40,000 managed to escape from that hellscape."

"It's the advent of the gods. The Antichrist," the Cardinal of Earth gasped.

"Our plan to make the Kingdom a stronghold of humanity has completely failed!" Maximus yelled. "First those idiots mess things up with their drugs and now Lucifer has ended any chance of the Empire taking over and fixing things!"

"We can't do it ourselves because that would make us neighbors with the Agrand Council Alliance," the Cardinal of Darkness muttered. If the Theocracy became neighbors with a country that was full of nonhumans the common folk would cry out for war. After all, the basic tenant of the Theocracy was that humanity was chosen by the gods and that all other races needed to be exterminated. The Theocracy took care to effectively brainwash its citizens into believing that anything that wasn't human was an enemy. That was how they kept their people united so they could focus national power on becoming a strong nation. However, this would also lead the commoners to demand a war with Agrand which would be a disaster. The Agrand Council Alliance was very strong after all. The Platinum Dragon Lord had the power to destroy the Theocracy if they didn't play their cards right.

"Let's examine the Immortal Emperor first," the Cardinal of Wind spoke up. "He is the one who wiped out Nigun's team back near Carne Village. In addition, the Black Scripture was attacked by a vampire who almost immediately retreated after killing Cedran and wounding Kaire. Shortly afterwards, Lucifer Dracul himself arrived on the scene and obliterated the forest while the rest of the world believes that it was destroyed from the fight between Momon and Valeda Tepes, who may or may not be the same vampire that Momon killed."

"What of Jaldabaoth?" the Cardinal of Fire asked. "He should be a similar entity correct? He too stood against Momon."

"True, but we don't know enough about any of these individuals to make an accurate assumption as to where their loyalties lie. The worst possible scenario is that all four of them are working together but that is highly unlikely," the Cardinal of Water stated.

"We need to hear it from the horse's mouth," the Cardinal of Darkness declared. "We need to send some of our spies from Clearwater Scripture into E-Rantel. Their objectives should be to question Momon, uncover what they can about the Immortal Emperor, retrieve Zur, and, if possible, find out what the situation is with Avenir."

"What is the situation in E-Rantel anyway?" the Cardinal of Light asked. "Has the populace been killed or is there a perfect reign of terror in place?"

"Surprisingly, the city appears to be ruled in relative peace," the Cardinal of Darkness responded. Everyone stared at him.

"Could you run that by us again?" the Cardinal of Water requested.

"It's true. It appears that Death Knights are used a city guards, Elder Liches are public servants, and Soul Eaters pull wagons," the Cardinal of Darkness stated.

"What pit of hell did these things crawl out of?" Maximus asked. "Are all the humans dead? That's the only logical explanation."

"No. The citizens of the Eternal Empire continue to go about their daily lives," the Cardinal of Darkness smirked. "Some of them even think of Lucifer as a hero of the people. There was some confusion at first, but it seems to have been resolved between the Dark Knight Momon and the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul themselves."

"Is there a way to set Momon against the Immortal Emperor?" the Cardinal of Light asked. "If we used to citizens that fool seems so fond of, perhaps we can-"

"Idiot," the Cardinal of Darkness said coldly. "That is far too dangerous. We may end up turning Lucifer Dracul AND Momon against us." The Cardinal of Light huffed in response and crossed his arms.

"Maximilian is right," Maximus declared. "We've already taken too many losses. Although Cedran has finally been revived and Kaire's injury has healed, it will still take time to bring them back up to full strength. Sunlight Scripture is effectively dissolved, the Miko Princess has been murdered, the Crown of Wisdom has been stolen, and we're still at war with the bastard elves! We can't divide our forces on two fronts. We need to end our war with the elves immediately!"

"With all the blood that's been spilled, I doubt they'll be open to peace," the Cardinal of Fire commented.

"Then we'll just have to increase our efforts to end this madness," Maximus growled. "Send Holocaust Scripture back out there and tell them to redouble their efforts. We shall send reinforcements with them. It's time to let Zesshi off her leash." The cardinals stared at the Archbishop with their eyes wide.

"Sir, are you saying-" the Cardinal of Earth started.

"Yes. Send Zesshi to CRUSH the elves and kill their king!" Maximus commanded.

"What of the situation in the Draconic Kingdom?" the Cardinal of Water asked.

"They're on their own!" Maximus spat. "We have enough to deal with!" The Cardinal of Darkness furrowed his eyes as the Archbishop started ranting and the Cardinal of Light joined in. If things like this continued, they would find themselves short on allies in the future.

"Your holiness!" a young man exclaimed as he ran into the room. "We have received a message from the Eternal Empire!" Everyone in the room stiffened. "It appears to be an invitation of some sort."

"Well? Spit it out boy!" the Cardinal of Light demanded.

"Y-yes your holiness," the young man stammered as he unraveled a scroll. "Esteemed representatives of the Slane Theocracy, Draconic Kingdom, Re-Estize Kingdom, and Agrand Council Alliance, you are formally invited to the Great Tomb of Nazarick for the first International Diet."

"WHAT!?"

* * *

Location: Holy Kingdom of Roble, capitol city: Roble.

"This is the fifth village to be attacked by Jaldabaoth, your majesty," a young man in white and gold robes said. "I believe we should ask for the assistance of the Dark Knight Momon, who has experience with this demon."

"Absolutely not, Roman," declared a beautiful woman in a white, sleeved dress as her angelic white wings made a slight flap of frustration. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and was absolutely stunning. If Albedo was an angel, this is what she would look like. This is the Valkyrie Queen Hope Paradis Pious. At her side was another woman that looked just like her with the only differences being that she had purple eyes, wore light golden armor, and her hair was in a ponytail. This was the Valkyrie Knight and wielder of the Sacred Blade, Angela Feroce Pious "The Holy Kingdom of Roble doesn't need any outside help to deal with this issue. Isn't that right sister?" Angela simply nodded in response to Hope's question.

"But your majesty," Roman said imploringly. "Surely it would be more effective to call for assistance from someone who has more experience with this unholy abomination, would it not?"

"Let me tell you something, Minister Roman," Hope said as she crossed her arms. "This demon has yet to attack Roble and has remained in villages. Do you know why? Because like all unholy creatures he is a coward. If these attacks continue, my sister will hunt him down. Calling for the aid of a so-called hero who has bowed before a disgusting vampire will be our last resort only! Much like how the Great Wall of Roble has held back the barbarians over the years all on its own, we will survive and thrive on our own as well!"

"Very well, your highness," Roman sighed. "Although that does remind me, we received a message from the Eternal Empire."

"Oh?"

* * *

Evileye kept watch on the streets, waiting for someone to decide that the carriage was expensive looking enough to have a noble in it. A few minutes ago, some weird explosion went off and, although no real damage had been done, everyone who was caught in the blast radius had started acting crazy doing random things. The guards were rushing into the fray and Evileye just wished that the people she was escorting would hurry up and get out of the orphanage. She was helping Princess Renner and Climb, who were making visits to children orphaned by the war or, more specifically, Lucifer Dracul. They REALLY needed to hurry up. The commoners of the Kingdom were getting antsier by the day. The way they saw things, their government didn't care about them and the nobles were using them as playthings. King Rampossa made a formal apology upon his return from Katze Plains and announced that he would abdicate the throne in four months' time, making Prince Zanac the new king. His apology, however, just made things worse. He sent their friends and family to die in droves over some psychotic thirst for revenge and he said he was sorry? The people weren't very forgiving of such an enormous mistake and it only made them angrier. Because he had made conscription mandatory for all men who were twenty or older, most of the males in the population were hot blooded teenagers full of rage. There had been signs of protest and unrest all over the Kingdom. Food wagons being raided, nobles being murdered, and property being destroyed out of anger. Riots had begun propping up all over the city and with the Noble Faction having majority control, they started hiring cutthroats, bandits, workers, and mercenaries to keep the peasants in line. The people of Re-Estize were being oppressed, food and money was disappearing with the people coming to the logical conclusion that the nobles are hoarding it or wasting it, and the commoners were ready to explode. It made Evileye uneasy. Tina, on the other hand, didn't seem too worried and was leaning up against the side of the carriage snoozing. After what seemed like an eternity, Climb and Renner exited the building and boarded the carriage.

"Tina, wake up!" Evileye said as she nudged Tina. Tina blinked a few times before nodding to show that she understood. With Tina awake, the two adamantite adventurers boarded the carriage, sat down across from Climb and Renner, and took off.

"Thanks for coming along you two," Renner said with a bright smile.

"It's not a problem. But where did you get the money to build that orphanage anyway?" Evileye asked. "Shouldn't that money be spent on things more important than those brats anyway?"

"I used my own funds. After the battle of Katze Plains, many children were left orphaned by the Immortal Emperor," Renner replied. "Besides, the strong should protect the weak. Brain Unglaus gave me the idea."

"Brain?" Tina perked up. "What happened to him anyway?"

"He's been trying to find someone to take Gazef's place as Warrior Captain," Renner responded with a somber expression on her face. "However, with the current political climate, nobody is really willing to serve the Kingdom. The commoners have all turned against the nobles and royals, it looks like a civil war is inevitable."

"Indeed," Evileye muttered. "The Immortal Emperor has not only beaten our army, but devastated our society with nothing but a little showmanship. I'd be impressed if I wasn't so pissed off. First the Demonic Disturbance and now this? Lucifer really knows how to kick someone when they're down."

"Speaking of the Demonic Disturbance, how are Gargan and Tia?" Climb asked.

"They're out training," Tina replied. "In order to regain the life force they lost upon their resurrection they've been training nonstop for the past few months. I wish I could've gone with them, I'm bored."

"It doesn't matter if you're bored, Tina," Evileye shrugged. "What matters is that they'll be back in action and we'll be able to stall for time if Jaldabaoth attacks again."

"Stall?" Renner asked as she tilted her head. "You mean for that adamantite ranked adventurer from last time?"

"That's right!" Evileye exclaimed excitedly. "The Dark Knight Momon! The mightiest warrior ever who swings his two greatswords like they were nothing but twigs! There's no doubt that he is the strongest fighter in the land!"

* * *

"FUCK!" a man in Arwintar sneezed. The robes he usually wore were on the floor and he was now equipped in full body adamantite armor painted silver. His helmet prevented anyone from seeing his face. As he turned back around and picked up his robes he looked to the sky and said: "Someone's talking shit about me again."

* * *

"….like a total badass! And those are the 666 reasons why Momon is the strongest and coolest fighter ever!" Evileye finished.

* * *

Lucifer sneezed.

"What? Did someone call my number?"

* * *

"But Evileye," Renner interrupted the fangirling. "Would he really be able to come? Isn't he the personal bodyguard of the Immortal Emperor now?" Under her mask, Evileye's expression became that of a child who had been told Christmas had been canceled.

"MOMON! That goddamn Immortal Emperor! To think he would actually dare to take control of such a great man! Even if Heaven will permit it I WILL NOT! If only I could free him from Lucifer Dracul. What the hell was he thinking anyway? Maybe I should head over to E-Rantel and ask him what his thoughts are." Evileye ranted.

"Speaking of Dracul," Tina began with narrowed eyes. "Evileye, can you kill the Immortal Emperor?" Evileye froze and her previous excitement vanished.

"If those rumors are true then he's the single most powerful magic caster to ever exist. I did some investigations of my own after the massacre at Katze Plains, I even got in touch with Rigrit. What I heard was so ridiculous that I thought the punk was mesmerized by an illusion," Evileye reported.

"It wasn't an illusion," Renner grimaced. "Out of the 300,000 people that were sent out into battle, only about 40,000 managed to escape with their lives. That's not even counting the 5,000 people who committed suicide."

"I can see why after hearing what happened," Evileye said darkly.

"It was absolute hell," Climb said with a haunted look on his face. "I was lucky. I had Brain and Gazef with me. If Gazef hadn't gone with the Immortal Emperor, not a single one of us would've made it out of there alive. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night when I dream I'm there again and every time I hear a goat I freak out."

"Does that answer your question Tina?" Evileye asked. Tina simply nodded in response. "I may be able to think of a way to deal with those monsters he summoned, but the Immortal Emperor is a being of god-like power who should not exist in this world."

"Who do you think is stronger?" Climb spoke up. "Momon or Lucifer Dracul? I don't think even Sebas could beat Dracul."

* * *

Sebas sneezed as he continued to watch the protest from the roof. His orders were simple: wait. Wait until the time is right to light the fuse and set off the rebellion. He continued to survey the crowd that was being kept in this area by the bandits that Count Ritton had hired. Some o the commoners were trying to attack the guards.

 _Be patient, they'll do it themselves. Then all I have to do is lead._

As if responding in accordance with Sebas' thoughts, one of the nobles' thugs cut a young man in front of him down with his axe. The people started to scream as the nobles' goons started attacking everyone in the crowd.

 _Now._

With that thought, Sebas jumped down from the roof and raced forward to defend the people from the brutes. His fists tore through his enemies as if they were butter. Uppercut. Jab. Neck snap. Swivel kick. Roundhouse kick. Elbow jab. He was a blur. The people watched in awe as he tore their oppressors apart. He turned back to them and called out.

"Arm yourselves! We aren't going to take this anymore!" Sebas declared. "We will take back what is rightfully ours!" The people raised their fists in the air and cheered.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

"My name is Sebas Tian and I believe there is nothing that can excuse the injustice that the nobles have inflicted on us all!" Sebas declared, eliciting more cheers from the commoners. The rebellion had been born, the civil war had been ignited, and the people had chosen their leader.

 _All according to my lord's plans._

* * *

"I feel that Momon, who drove off Jaldabaoth, is stronger. But both sides are so superior to us it's impossible to be able to tell," Evileye answered, as those in the carriage were completely unaware of the rebellion that had just been born.

"Still, having Momon under the banner of the Antichrist is basically the worst case scenario," Renner said with a sigh.

"Antichrist?" Tina asked with an eyebrow raised.

"You haven't heard?" Renner asked. "A lot of the nobles and priests have been calling him the Antichirst. Some ancient word used by the Six Great Gods to describe the enemy of all that is holy or a being of supreme evil. The way he has upset the natural order when it comes to who has the power is making many think he's here to bring about the end of all that is good in the world while others are thinking he will give rise to a new order and a better world."

"What do you think, Princess?" Climb asked.

"I don't know yet, but we'll have a chance to find out soon," she replied.

"How?" Tina asked.

"An invitation arrived at the Royal Palace today, inviting delegates from several countries to the Immortal Emperor's home: the Great Tomb of Nazarick. We are permitted to bring whatever security detail we deem necessary within reasonable limitations," Renner informed them. "Several members of the Noble Faction, my father, my brother, and myself are going over there in an attempt to smooth things over with Lucifer Dracul. Since we started out on bad terms and we were defeated like we were nothing, it will be difficult to establish good relations and ensure we do not enter another conflict with them. Since we are allowed to bring a security detail, I was hoping you and the rest of Blue Rose would come with us."

"Don't you think this could be a ploy to try to kill off the leadership of several empires at once?" Evileye questioned.

"I considered that, but although it would send the chain of command of each country into chaos, it would also unite all those countries," Renner explained. "They would all come together in an attempt to kill Lucifer. I'm sure that even he doesn't want that happening."

"I dunno….." Evileye muttered.

"Momon is Lucifer's personal bodyguard. Lucifer will be there so Momon is sure to be there as well," Renner said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"We're in!" Evileye declared. "I'm sure Lakyus will agree to come! Leave it to me!"

* * *

"Thank you Ainzach. How long do you think it will take to implement the changes necessary for this new Adventurer's Guild?" Lucifer asked the man before him, Pluton Ainzach.

"It will take a month or two, but your majesty's proposal would attract adventurers from all over the known world," Ainzach replied. "However, the matter of setting up the practice labyrinth will take some more time."

"Agreed. We can work out the details at a later date. Thank you for coming Ainzach," Lucifer said with a convincing smile.

"Of course your majesty," Ainzach smiled back as he left the office. Lucifer let out a sigh the moment he was gone. If he wanted to rule the world, the best way was to take it all before anyone invented guns. If a sword was a level 5 weapon then what level was a gun? Not knowing made him uneasy so he decided it was best to finish taking over the world before anyone invented guns. In order to do that he would need to discover the rest of the world. How would he do that without exhausting manpower? Use the adventurers, their organization was obsolete with his Death Knights patrolling E-Rantel.

"My love?" Albedo's voice came from behind the door. "There's someone here to see you. A member of the Black Scripture." Lucifer raised an eyebrow.

"Send him in," he ordered. The doors opened and a skinny, creepy old man walked in. "I presume that you are Zur? Nigun has informed me of your true nature so there is no need to hide it here." Zur stared at Lucifer for a moment before his face practically melted off, revealing his true fleshless face.

 _An Overlord like from back in Yggdrasil. Not nearly as strong as most of them though. Maybe he achieved this form from some sort of ritual? Irrelevant._

"Have a seat," Lucifer offered as he gestured to a nearby chair.

"Thank you Emperor Dracul," Zur said as he sat down.

"I understand you have a proposition for me?" Lucifer stated more than asked.

"Yes," Zur nodded. "My organization, Zuranon, has been eagerly waiting for one such as you for a long time. There are thousands who lie and wait to answer your call. The world as it is sickens us and we seek to bring an end to the way things are."

"It was my understanding that you were a simple cult fascinated with by the undead," Lucifer said with an eyebrow raised.

"The undead are fascinating, but they are not the focus of our group," Zur stated. "We seek undeath in order to keep our numbers from going down every time one of us dies of old age. This idea that we want all to achieve undeath is a mere superstition created by those who would corrupt or misunderstand our message,"

"And what is that message?"

"We seek an end to this world's order. I have lived since the time of the Thirteen Heroes, I even fought at their side. But did I ever get recognition for all my heroic deeds? No. All undead must be evil and anyone who fights them is a hero. That is the natural order of things. I want to be able to walk in the sunlight without having to worry about some uppity adventurer attacking me. I want to be able to walk down the streets just like anyone else. I want the recognition I deserve. When I heard about you and all of the other powerful individuals appearing, it was just like when the Thirteen Heroes first appeared. You didn't do what any of the others did, you didn't join a side. You chose your own path and crushed those in your way, regardless of whether or not they were powerful or holy or even unholy. You upset the natural order. That is what I, as well as the rest of Zuranon, desire. The end of the so-called "natural order" and the birth of a new order. If you will have us, we will serve you," Zuranon said, finishing his little speech.

"I'm sure I can work you into my plans, Zur," Lucifer smirked.

"Thank you my lord," Zur's fleshless face seemed to grin.

"For the time being, we cannot establish a formal alliance for the whole world to see," Lucifer declared as he stood up from his seat. "For Zuranon to become an official force within the Eternal Empire we must create positive publicity for them. We need the people to sympathize with you. Any public illegal operations must cease and we must make it seem like any atrocities committed in the past by Zuranon were rogue elements who disobeyed orders and were punished. I will have your people work in the shadows for the time being while my subordinates and I handle more public affairs. For now, you should continue to pose a member of the Black Scripture. When it comes time for war with the Slane Theocracy, they will be hated by every creature on the continent. If Zuranon helped to eliminate them, they would be seen as a group who fought against tyrants who used false gods as an excuse to fulfill their own twisted ends."

"As you decree my lord," Zur said with a bow. "I am eager to serve."

"Welcome to the Eternal Empire, Zur," Lucifer said with an evil grin. "We have much to do."

* * *

Bonus Story: Shalltear's Withdrawal

Shalltear was hallucinating. She must've been. Everything looked like a sex toy. It had been more than three months since her sex toys were confiscated and she was starting to go crazy. Currently, she was rolling around on her bed trying not to lose her mind. Unfortunately, that's when Avenir opened the door.

"Mistress Shalltear?" she called in her usual sweet voice. "What are you doing? Lord Dracul wishes to see you. Mistress are you listening to me?" Shalltear just kept staring at her. That revealing clothing she always wore, that sweet, innocent voice, those delicious-looking legs, those nice big…..

"I CAN'T TAKE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Shalltear screamed as she tackled Avenir and the two started rolling around on the floor. Unfortunately, Lucifer picked that moment to open the door.

"What in the bloodiest hell is going on in-" Lucifer began before he noticed a red-faced, half-naked Avenir underneath a disheveled Shalltear. They all just stared at each other for a few moments before Lucifer broke the silence.

"I'll come back later," Lucifer muttered quietly as he shut the door on them. Aura had been behind him trying to see what was happening.

"Was there something weird going on with fake-tits my lord?" Aura asked.

"No," Lucifer said without even looking back at Aura as they went to go gather Demiurge.

* * *

 **This chapter was mostly just setting up for everything in the future. Oh yeah, and Sebas is now the resistance leader among the Re-Estize rebels. I'm not sure how I felt about this chapter, I feel like I could've done better but I don't know. Anyways, as usual...**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	25. End of an Empire

Chapter 24: End of an Empire

Jircniv glared up at the ceiling from his bed, unable to think of anything other than how much he hated and feared the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul. He had dealt with countless stupid nobles, uncovered treachery that could shake the Empire to its core, and learned of deteriorating relationships between other countries. Through it all, Jircniv never panicked. But Lucifer Dracul was a problem that didn't have a solution. He wished for nothing more than the death of that hateful man. With a sigh, he sat up and looked down at his pillow to see, just like every morning since he heard what happened on Katze Plains, his hair that had fallen out that now adorned his pillow. He stomach ached so much he thought he would explode. The first problem Lucifer had caused were the casualties among the Imperial Knights Corps from the battle of Katze Plains. 143 deaths was a trivial number for a direct clash with the enemy, but the losses were entirely self-inflicted. What was worse was that Lucifer had remained after the battle and had turned their fallen into more monsters to serve him. The second issue were the countless petitions he had received from the Knights Corps requesting that they NEVER go to war with the Eternal Empire. Like anyone in their right mind would ever declared war on Lucifer Dracul. The reason they sent the petitions anyway was because they had lost faith in Jircniv. Because he had requested that the Immortal Emperor use his strongest spell, the blame for that miserable hellscape landed at Jircnuv's feet. He had only asked for him to use his strongest spell as a means to evaluate the Immortal Emperor's power. He had no idea that such terrible magic existed, but the knights didn't see things that way. Because Jircniv was such a fantastic ruler, they felt that he had specifically asked for that spell, knowing full well what it did.

"Damn him! This is all the Immortal Emperor's fault!" Jircniv shouted at nobody in particular. "No, it's not his fault. It's the Immortal Emperor's conspiracy. It's very possible that the state of the Empire has been orchestrated by him." Jircniv's musings were interrupted by a knock at the door and scribe entered his room.

"Your majesty-" the scribe began before being cut short by Jircniv.

"Skip the greeting. Just get to the point," Jircnivsaid irritably.

"Yes you majesty. The "traders" from the Theocracy have returned with certain "guests" who are eager to speak with you," the scribe reported.

"Excellent," Jircniv said with a sigh of relief. This was the best news he had received in a long time. Progress had been slow, but it seemed that things were finally going his way. He had been careful about who was privy to certain information. After he had discovered that Fluder was a spy, he was hit with the unsettling realization that someone must have compromised Fluder in the first place, so there were more spies in the midst of the Empire. How many and how high ranking they were was unknown so Jircniv decided it was best not t tell anyone anything they didn't need to know. He could not allow word to get back to the Eternal Empire that he was planning to betray their evil ruler. "When will they get here?"

"They are expected to arrive within the next two days, your majesty," the scribe responded.

 _Now all I need to do is set up a meeting in a place that would not be conspicuous. The Imperial Coliseum should do, but we need to take every precaution. This is a high stakes game we play. That spell of utmost cruelty was basically telling me "I am undead. Slaying the living is natural." There's no way in hell I can ignore a monster like that. It is my duty to improve our chances of winning, even if by just a little. The Slane Theocracy is no doubt the best nation to appeal to in order to battle undead abominations, but if Dracul found out what was happening it could spell doom for us all._

"My liege," the scribe spoke up. "Is the act of opening hostilities with the Eternal Empire not a most foolish course of action?"

"If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them," Jircniv snapped.

"Shouldn't we continue to strengthen our bond with the Eternal Empire and give in to any requests they may have us?" the scribe asked. Jircniv grimaced. He was already sending a fortune's worth of stone, marble, lumber, and other resources to the heart of evil: Nazarick. Apparently they were constructing a city of some sort.

"You're probably right," Jircniv sighed. "They have military might that we could never even hope to deal with and the personal power of Lucifer Dracul is befitting a god. However, does that not mean we should prepare for the worst? If he decides to destroy the Kingdom, do you really think that bending a knee will make such a problem go away?"

"You are right, your majesty. Forgive me," the scribe bowed.

"It's fine. It is a logical conclusion to come to," Jircniv sighed.

* * *

The people of Re-Estize were gathered at the gates of the Royal Palace, beating on the gates as guards tried to keep them back. The Royal Guards had ended up bringing in some of the mercenaries the nobles had hired to help secure the palace. Inside the Royal Palace, the remainders of the Royal and Noble factions had assembled in the room where they used to discuss the war with Lucifer. Count Ritton had survived the battle because he fled before the battle even began. He still continued to insult Lucifer over and over, but every time he did, he also looked over his shoulder fearfully. Margrave Urovona had a heart attack upon hearing what happened at Katze Plains and died while Bowlrob and Volumlash never made it back from that hellscape. The only two nobles left were Ritton and Raeven. King Rampossa was sitting on his throne with the expression of a broken man and Prince Zanac was standing on his right while Renner and Climb stood to his left. The remaining nobles were gathered around Raeven and Ritton.

"How did it get like this?" Zanac muttered.

"It doesn't matter how this happened. What matters is what we plan to do about it?" Raeven interjected.

"Let the idiotic commoners throw themselves at the guards we hired," Ritton scoffed. "This rebellion is nothing but a distraction. The real question is how we intend to deal with the Antichrist!"

"The Immortal Emperor has been unexpectedly merciful in his rule," Raeven reported. "Many of the commoners want to leave this country to join his, however the fact that he is a vampire is a bit off-putting so they are attempting to reform this government and strip the power away from the nobility. What began as several ridiculous riots has become a single, organized movement that calls itself the "National Liberation Party" and have begun organized hit and run attacks on Royal and Noble properties. They have chosen to rally behind a man named Sebas Tian, who is the founder and acting leader of the National Liberation Party."

"Sebas?" Climb perked up. "Sebas is the leader of the rebellion?"

"Yes," Raeven confirmed. "It seems that his message is to end the nobility and the monarchy and set up Princess Renner as the first ruler of the government he seeks to create." Climb, Zanac, and Renner's eyes widened. Climb was proud of his mistress, Renner was surprised, and Zanac was fearful. With Barbro out of the way, he was next in line for the throne and he had no intention of letting his fearsome and brilliant sister take control. However, he knew she was smarter than him and his father would never let him get rid of her. He would have to be very careful with how he let this play out.

"A QUEEN!? Preposterous. Unheard of. Never in the history of the Kingdom has a woman been in charge," Ritton sneered. "Why would they want a woman in charge anyway?"

"It appears that many of the policies Princess Renner has been attempting to put in place align with the NLP's beliefs," Raeven reported.

"I think Princess Renner would do an amazing job as this country's ruler," Climb offered which resulted in Ritton throwing a bottle of wine at him, forcing him to duck.

"No one asked you! Know your place you filthy commoner!" Ritton screeched.

"Was that really necessary?" Renner asked.

"Absolutely. We need a firm hand with these uncivilized peasants. The more they think they can get away with the more they will continue to rebel," Ritton said with an arrogant smirk. "Once we beat the lower class back down to their rightful place below us, everything should return to normal. They're called "lower class" for a reason you know. Besides, my men have already tracked down the NLP's leader to a warehouse in the Market District that was abandoned during the Demonic Disturbance. Soon this ridiculous civil uprising will be over."

"I don't want to know," the king sighed. "What of the Eternal Empire's invitation? What of the countries that haven't had an invitation come to them?"

"We have no idea why the Baharuth Empire wasn't invited," Raeven reported. "As for the Elf Kingdom, very few people are privy to the exact location of its capitol and even fewer won't be killed on sight upon arriving there. The Theocracy has made them very wary towards humans. I imagine Agrand Council State wasn't invited because their leadership is entirely made up of dragons who are not very social and probably wouldn't fit into this "Nazarick" anyway. The Holy Kingdom has always treasured its state of isolationism so I imagine they wouldn't come even if asked."

"So, are we all clear on who will be attending?" Zanac asked.

"Yes, prince," Ritton replied. "I, of course, will be attending in order to show that bastard vampire that although he has defeated us in battle, the nobles remain strong despite his efforts undermine our authority."

"I will attend as well," Raeven announced.

"My family and I shall seek to smooth over our past misunderstandings," the king said.

"And Blue Rose will act as security," Renner stated.

"Very well. The International Diet is in three days. I suggest we begin our journey to the Great Tomb of Nazarick tomorrow afternoon," Raeven declared.

* * *

Sebas was assisting his people in a warehouse he and several members of the National Liberation Party had refurbished into a temporary command center. Earlier that day, they had scuffed with another few political parties. The Royalists, who believed that the King should rule over all and remained loyal to the Kingdom, the Separatists, who wanted a portion of Re-Estize to become a new country, and the Prophets, who wanted to tear down the monarchy and install a puppet government for the Theocracy. Because of these groups clashing, several members of each group were injured or killed. By the end of the fight the Separatists had been completely dissolved while the others came away with scrapes and bruises. As a result, the majority of the warehouse was being used as a makeshift infirmary. Sebas had just finished patching up another activist when a bulky young man ran over to him.

"Sir Tian!" he called out.

"I've already told you Freddon, just Sebas is fine," Sebas said. "We're all family here, united by a single cause." Freddon had become Sebas' second-in-command over the past few days. He was a skilled Mythril ranked adventurer who had fought during the Demonic Disturbance. Many members of the Adventurers'' Guild had taken a "temporary leave of absence" in order to help fight for the cause they believed in.

"Family huh?" Freddon chuckled. "Well if we're all family, then that makes you the wise old grandpa everyone looks to for guidance."

"Please don't call me grandpa," Sebas said with a smile. "It makes me feel old. Now, what is the issue?"

"We found a noble snooping around outside. Wondered what we should do with him," Freddon reported, suddenly all business.

"Show me," Sebas ordered as he narrowed his eyes. Freddon whistled and two me dressed in haphazardly collected armor dragged Raeven in. "He's alright," Sebas said with a sigh of relief. "Marquis Raeven has been spying on the other nobles for us and providing monetary support for our movement." Upon hearing that this man was an ally, the rebels brought him back onto his feet and shook his hands. "What brings you here anyway?

"I have good news and bad news," Raeven reported as he brushed some of the dirt off his clothes. "The good news is that the royal family as well as several nobles such as myself will be attending a formal ball within the Eternal Empire being hosted by the Immortal Emperor himself." Several of the rebels started muttering amongst themselves.

"Even in the middle of a rebellion those bastards find a way to party."

"Are they ignoring us?"

"The Immortal Emperor?"

"Do you think he would help us?"

"Isn't he a vampire?"

"He's the guy who killed Barbro!"

"If he was being honest about what he believes, I'm sure he would help us."

"Since I will be there, I can ask for the Immortal Emperor's assistance in person and see what manner of support he can lend us," Raeven said.

"Having the backing of the Eternal Empire would be a hell of an advantage," Freddom stated.

"Indeed," Sebas nodded. "What is the bad news Raeven?"

"Count Ritton is aware that you are all using this warehouse and is sending several mercenary groups to flush you out," Raeven said grimly. "I suggest you send one of your men to inform the others."

"Agreed," Sebas nodded. "Freddon, tell our people at the other posts that it is time to evacuate this city. We'll regroup at E-Pespsel."

"You got it boss!" Freddon shouted as he ran out of the warehouse's side exit.

"Everyone else load onto the wagons. We're leaving immediately," Sebas declared as he picked up two shields from off the ground. On his command, the rebels left the warehouse, carrying those who were incapable of moving on their own, and began loading on to the wagons until several dozen archers appeared on nearby roof tops. The archers took aim and began unleashing a constant stream of arrows upon the rebels. It would've been a bloodbath if it wasn't for Sebas. As the first volley of arrows soared through the air towards a group of rebels, Sebas jumped in front of them and used the two shields he picked up to deflect every single arrow. Once there were no more arrows in the air, Sebas threw both shields as if they were boomerangs. They spun through the air and smacked the enemies on the roofs across their faces, knocking them unconscious before they soared back to him, allowing him to use them once again if more attackers found their way on to nearby rooftops. The wagons finally started to move out of the Market District and towards the city gates so Sebas jumped on top of one of the wagons in order to defend from more arrows. Another two groups of archers appeared on rooftops up ahead and unleashed volleys of arrows at the Nation Liberation Party members in two different wagons. Faster than anyone could see him, Sebas blocked all the arrows headed for the wagon he was standing on before jumping to another wagon and blocking the arrows headed for that one. The archers weren't abl to launch another volley because the wagons raced by them and out of range.

"We've reached the gate!" one of the drivers yelled. Sebas turned around to see the exit from Re-Estize, but two guards were attempting to close the gates to keep them in. Seeing this, Sebas threw his shields at the two guards striking them each in the head and stopping their attempt to box the rebels in. With no other obstacles in their way, the caravan of wagons burst out of the city and raced towards the horizon.

* * *

A platoon of soldiers from the Slane Theocracy marched through the Great Forest of Evasha. It was quiet and there were no elves in sight, but that was what unnerved them the most. It was usually in situations like this where they would be ambushed. Luckily, they had a secret weapon with them. The platoon commander grinned as he turned to the teenage girl at his side.

"It's an honor to have you with us, Lady Zesshi," he told the woman who had a cross-shaped scythe on her back.

"Yes, you've said that already. Eight times in fact," Zesshi snapped. She didn't want to be here. Sure, this was a step up from sitting around Humanika doing nothing, but these elves would hardly be a challenge. Still, the leader of the elves, the elf king Augustus Connard, was a helluva consolation prize. He was the bastard who raped her mother and was Zesshi's father, much to her dismay.

 _Oh, hurry up and attack us you idiots. I want to wrap my hands around that sunuva bitch's throat._

As if answering her prayers, forty elves started swinging down from the trees on ropes and began butchering the knights.

"Hostiles!" the platoon commander yelled. Zesshi grinned as she slid her scythe from its sheath. One elf tried to bring an axe down on her head, but Zesshi blocked it with the lower part of the scythe's handle before applying force to the upper part of the scythe allowing her to slide around him and cut him in half at the same time. When the other elves who weren't fighting the knights saw this, they ran to engage. Unfortunately for them, Zesshi wasn't called "No Death No Life" for nothing. Laughing like a madwoman, Zesshi rushed to meet them and began her brutal assault. She bashed in heads by using the handle as a blunt weapon, she stabbed and sliced with the scythe blades, she stomped on heads, and broke bones with her free hand. One of the few remaining elves tried to bring his sword down on her, but she caught his wrist and slowly began crushing it. The elf cried out as the audible sounds of bones cracking were heard until Zesshi ripped his arm off as if was nothing and left him to bleed out all over the grass. Zesshi laughed at the suffering elf manically while the knights finished off the last of the elves. The platoon commander was staring at her. He wasn't so sure he liked having her around anymore. She scared the hell out him. That's when he noticed her hair that always covered her ears had become untidy during the battle. His eyes widened as he saw her ears. They were elven, but not as long as the standard elf's ears, so that meant…..

"You're a filthy half-elf?" he spat. Zesshi immediately stopped laughing and gave the commander a cold glare. She glanced at the other knights who hadn't noticed this exchange and, after she fixed her hair so no one could see her ears, she cut off the commander's head when no one was looking. The force of the swipe not only removed his head from his neck, but sent both his body and his head flying deeper into the forest.

"Lady Zesshi," a knight called out. "Have you seen the commander?"

"No," she lied. "He's either been captured or killed. Let's move on. We need to establish a forward command center for the others to meet us at in preperations for the final assault on the elven capitol."

"Yes ma'am!"

* * *

A man that nobody recognized walked through the streets of Arwintar towards the Imperial Coliseum. He was, however, wearing impressive armor. He smirked at the people who raised their eyebrows at him. Of course they wouldn't recognize him. He had applied [Mortal's Mask] and, unlike the face he used whenever he acted under the guise of Momon, it was a relatively unnoticeable and easily forgettable. Lucifer and Ainzach had set up a bout between himself and the Martial Lord, Go Gin. This had been set up under the guise of marketing the new Adventurer's Guild, but this was just a front. The real reason was because one his Shadow Demon spies had reported that Jircniv was meeting with representatives from the Slane Theocracy in an attempt to forge a secret alliance against him. Lucifer chuckled.

 _Fool. He doesn't even realize that this is exactly what I wanted. With this single move, I will sow mistrust between the Theocracy and the Empire and claim the entirety of the Baharuth Empire as my own. Jircniv_ _will no doubt panic when he learns that I do not want vassals. This should be a fun way to unwind before the diet. Now, how should I make my entrance?_

* * *

Angela Pious and several holy knights from Roble stood in the center of a village. All the villagers were hiding in their homes and watched fearfully as the prepared for battle. Angela bitterly recalled the message from the Eternal Empire they had received. It had said: "We are aware that Jaldabaoth has attacked several of your villages. Based off the frequency and locations of the villages he has attacked, we have uncovered a pattern that has allowed us to figure out when and where he will strike next. Enclosed within this document are our predictions for the next five locations he will attack. I recommend you send your strongest warriors to intercept this demon before he can claim any more innocent lives. Please be aware that if you fail to kill him or subdue him, he is likely to realize that his pattern has been discovered and will switch tactics. If I was to predict what he would do, it would be a logical assumption that he will attempt to attack the Holy City of Roble. Should you be unable to handle this matter, feel free to contact me and the Eternal Empire will happily provide military support. Sincerely, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul." Angela fumed as she thought back to the contents of that letter. The Holy Kingdom of Roble had always been proud of it independence and had opted for isolationist policies. They did not like accepting help from anyone, especially unholy creatures such as vampires, but in light of the severity of these attacks and the threat Jaldabaoth posed to their citizens it had been decided that they would use the information provided by the Eternal Empire and kill the demon before this problem got out of control.

 _That goddamn vampire. Who does he think he is? Pretending to care about the lives of these people. He's undead, he can't care. What's more offensive is that he thinks that we might not be able to beat this cowardly demon when he attacks. Does he know who I am? I am the Valkyrie Knight! I've killed thousands of demons and this one is no different! The most ridiculous thing that was in that message is that he thinks that this demon may actually attack Roble. There's no way that would ever happen. There's too much holy energy and people devoted to the gods for a demon to be able to take two steps in there. And to think he had the gall to offer military support. My sister may be better at handling the politics of these things but even I could understand the true intention behind that offer. He wants to send his undead abominations to destroy the Holy Kingdom, it's the only reason an undead creature like that would ever send military forces over here._

Her thoughts were interrupted when a circle of fire surrounded the village. It matched the style of the previous attacks. The Immortal Emperor had been correct: Jaldabaoth was here.

"He's here. Defend the villagers!" Angela commanded her subordinates as demons emerged from the flames giggling maniacally. Angela drew her Sacred Blade and cut three of the demons that were charging at her in half with a single strike. While her subordinates handled the demons coming from the North and East, she handled the demons coming from the South and West. After a few minutes of basic hack and slash, she found herself surrounded by demons and a group of six hellhounds were jumping over their fellow demons towards her in an attempt to rip her apart. "Guess I have to get serious," she smirked. "[Sixfold Slash of Light]!" she cried, activating her martial art. She made six simultaneous strikes against the hellhound, who died before they even realized what had happened, and turned her attention to the demons that had encircled her. They all simultaneously pounced towards her with weapons and claws drawn while another demon horde rushed towards her from the South.

 _At least they're not stupid enough to attack one at a time._

"[Whirlwind]!" she exclaimed, activating yet another martial art. She started spinning rapidly, so fast that a regular human eye could not keep up with her. When the demons that had pounced at her collided with the whirlwind they were shredded, but it didn't stop there. The whirlwind moved forward into the horde that had been approaching her resulting in all of them being shredded as well. The whirlwind ended and Angela flapped her wings, taking the sky where she began to rain down holy magic down upon the unholy. "{Holy Smite]! [Holy Nova]! [Banish]! [Arrow of Divinity]! [Purifying Flame]! [Div-]," she didn't get to finish that last spell as another person used a spell.

"[Evil Ray]," a sinister voice calmly proclaimed as a purple ray of light clipped through Angela's wings. She yelped as she lost altitude and collided with the ground. She moaned as she picked herself up and found herself face to face with a demon wearing a suit and a mask. She didn't even need to ask who this was. "You are quite the battle lover, are you not?" he asked mockingly polite. "You haven't even noticed that your friends over there are dead." Angela's eyes widened and turned to see the corpses of her comrades being feasted on by hellhounds. She turned back around and glared bloody murder at Jaldabaoth.

"Demon! I will avenge my friends by slaying you. Repent and embrace the gods!" she roared as she pointed her Sacred Blade at the evil creature. "[Sixfold Slash of Light]!" she roared as she made six simultaneous strikes with a grin. There was no way that this demon would be able to dodge that. He didn't. What he did was far more terrifying, He blocked each individual strike with his claws. If her strikes were as fast as light, then he was faster than light and that scared the hell out of her.

"Don't tell me that's all you can do little angel?" he sneered.

"[Positive Burst]!" Angela cried, releasing a wave of holy energy. Jaldabaoth simply stood there and let the attack hit. Such an attack was impressive to come from a native of this world, but not impressive to a being from Nazarick. Angela stared, eyes wide in pure terror at the fact that he remained completely unharmed. With a war cry, she swung her Sacred Blade at him, only to have it knocked out her hands by his claws. Jaldabaoth simply scoffed and didn't even consider her worthy of a real attack. So he grabbed her by the arms and threw her down into the dirt. Angela tried to pick herself back up, but the foot on her back would not allow her to move.

"This isn't how you thought this would end, is it? I do apologize if I disappointed you," Jaldabaoth mocked. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to let you go so you can flee back to your so-called "Holy City" and tell your sister, Queen Hope Pious, that Jaldabaoth is going to pay her beloved city a visit very soon. When I get there, I'm going to make you watch as I snuff your sister's life out and slaughter your people. I will make you watch the consequences of your failure and then I will let you go to either spend the rest of your days wallowing in misery or let you kill yourself. Not that it matters. Once my work in the Holy Kingdom is complete, all human life on this planet will be extinguished." Angela was panting now out pure panic. This demon couldn't actually do what he said could he? "Now, as preview of your painful future, I will make you the first angel who will face what is inevitable for all your kind." Angela couldn't see what he was doing, but he could feel his hands on her wings. It was only when he started pulling did she realize what he intended to do.

"NO!" she screamed but as she finished that word her scream of panic became a scream of pain as her wings were ripped off. She was crying because the pain was so intense and she couldn't see straight. Her vision was going dark and blurry.

"I think I'll make a nice cloak out of these feathers," were the last words she heard as she lost consciousness.

* * *

Jircniv had been escorted by Nimble and Baziwood to the Imperial Coliseum. He had left Leinas at the Imperial Palace because he suspected that she was planning to gather Intel for the Immortal Emperor in order to raise her value in his eyes before defecting to the Eternal Empire. Currently, they were sitting in Jircniv's private VIP room while the adamantite ranked team Silver Canary guarded the door. Jircniv was pacing as he waited for his "guests" to arrive while Baziwood and Nimble kept glancing between their emperor and the fight going on in the arena.

"Your majesty," a voice called from the other side of the door. "Your guests have arrived."

"Good, please let them in," Jircniv said with a sigh of relief as he finally took a seat. The High Priest of Fire and the High Priest of Wind entered the room followed by several hooded figures. They kept their hoods on even after the door was closed. Although impolite, it was understandable. Everyone here was on edge and cautious with the cause of their wariness being the Immortal Emperor. "I apologize if my guards inconvenienced you."

"It is not a problem. Our guards aren't exactly harmless anyway," the High Priest of Fire shrugged as he and his compatriots sat down. He didn't even look at Jircniv as he sat down and simply handed him a piece of paper. On it were questions like: "Why did you ask the Immortal Emperor to use that spell? What is the Empire's position on the matter? What do you know about the Eternal Empire? What do you know about Lucifer Dracul? How did you end up in contact with him? Are you on his side?" Jircniv frowned but understood why they didn't necessarily trust him as he started filling in his answers.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a magically amplified voice called out. "Up next we have a match you've ALL been looking forward to! But first, let me call your attention to our very own Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix who has come to spectate this bout!" Jircniv put on a smile and waved to the masses who cheered in response. "Thank you very much! In a few minutes, we will have our grand Martial Lord's return to the arena to battle his latest challenger!"

"Who is the Martial Lord facing anyway?" the High Priest of Wind asked.

"Nobody knows actually," Jircniv replied. "It seems it was intentionally kept a secret. Even I don't know."

"Well anyone who can go toe to toe with a beast like that must surely be adamantite ranked," the High Priest of Fire commented. "Someone from Eight Ripples perhaps?"

"Maybe," Jircniv responded thoughtfully. "Either way anyone who can beat the Martial Lord may stand a chance against Lucifer Dracul. We should watch."

"Ladies and gentlemen the wait is over!" the announcer called out again. Everyone in Jircniv's VIP booth leaned closer to get a good view. "Our challenger's name may well be known to all of you! A great and powerful man has graced us with his presence today! I present to you, the Immortal Emperor of the Eternal Empire, LUCIFER DRACUL!"

"WHAT!?" Jircniv screamed. "IMPOSSIBLE!"

 _The leader of a country would never appear in a gladiatorial match in another country. That would be insane. I ordered my people to keep him under surveillance anyway! If really did come here then that news would've reached my ears immediately. If he managed to sneak in without alerting any of my spies then all my precautions have been for nothing! But why would he come here to the arena? Don't tell me…._

Jircniv looked over at the High Priests who were glaring at him with a mixture of fury and fear. They thought that he had brought Lucifer down upon them intentionally.

"Wait! This is a trap!" Jircniv cried.

"A trap laid by the Eternal Empire, or by you, Jircniv?" the High Priest of Wind asked scathingly. "After all, this is the place you specified and we only learned about the location a few hours ago!" That was correct. Jircniv had been trying to minimize the risk of information leaking out.

"No! It's possible that the Intel was extracted by magical domination!" Jircniv proclaimed, desperately trying to salvage the situation. "If I set this trap, why am I panicking?"

"You expect us to believe that?" the High Priest of Fire bellowed. "Were you trying to draw us in, or perhaps sell us out?" They didn't trust him at all. Jircniv wouldn't trust him if he was in their situation.

 _The Immortal Emperor is more cunning than I ever dared to imagine. How many more of my actions has he predicted? How elaborate is his scheme? If I don't act quickly this situation will be beyond repair!"_

"Please wait! Lucifer Dracul-" Jircniv began.

 **"** **Speak of the devil and he will appear,"** a terrifying voice called from the shadows behind them. Everyone turned around to face those shadows, slowly and fearfully. Jircniv knew that horrible voice. He had only ever heard it once and he would never forget it. Laced within that voice were the sounds of demonic hounds howling, evil laughter, and millions of souls crying out in agony. What they saw was a creature so dark it cast a shadow on darkness itself. Its skin was like looking into a window of the deepest darkest pit of hell. Glaring, soulless eyes that covered its body stared at them, there were mouths filled with sharp teeth all over, and grotesque faces that either seemed to be grinning psychotically or looked like they were suffering unimaginable pain were everywhere. Tendrils that moved about like they had lives of their own seemed to be slowly spreading from it, slowly consuming the room. As for his face, a massive, twisted, inhuman, fanged smile was on its face proudly displaying every fang and if Lucifer's soulless red eyes were like looking into an abyss then this was like seeing evil incarnate. The irises weren't red like with Lucifer's regular eyes, these eyes were completely crimson with tiny, pinpoint sized black pupils staring at them hungrily practically radiating pure evil and malice. Then the figure stepped out of the shadows revealing it was Lucifer Dracul looking as normal as ever, or as normal as he usually looked, apart from the silver armor and red cape he was wearing.

 _Holy hell, the looks on their faces! That was priceless._

"jircniv, you look like you're doing well," Lucifer said with a pleasant smile. The humans stared at him, pale and scared out of their wits.

"L-Lord Dracul. What a pleasant surprise," Jircniv managed to stutter out, still not able to banish the horrifying THING he just saw from his mind.

"What a coincidence," Lucifer chuckled as he glared at Jircniv wordlessly telling him that he wasn't buying any of this coincidence crap. By taking control of the discussions with the Slane Theocracy Lucifer would apply pressure to both factions and prevent them from forming an alliance.

 _He really is a twisted, evil genius. Where was the leak? How did Lucifer find out? Don't tell me that he was simply capable of predicting this!_

"Friends of yours, Jircniv?" Lucifer asked as he dropped the false politeness and shot the emissaries from the Theocracy an evil grin. Jircniv was sweating now. It was a scheme so evil that it made him want to throw up.

 _He wants to know where my allegiances lie. Will I lie to this monster to protect them or sell them out as a friend of the Immortal Emperor?_

"Are you alright, Jircniv? You look unwell," Lucifer stated with a raised eyebrow and a slight frown.

"I-I'm fine. I think I just stood up too quickly," Jircniv lied uncomfortably. The fact that Lucifer sounded genuinely concerned terrified him and made him feel like he was a tiny animal squirming in the hand of someone who was trying to help him. It was unnatural for Jircniv.

"I see," Lucifer responded, drawing out the "ee" sound. "Then would you gentlemen like to introduce yourselves? I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul. You are?" Jircniv grimaced as he imagined an evil grin widening across Lucifer's face.

"I apologize, but a dire emergency demands our attention," the High Priest of Wind stated while trying to keep his fear under control. "We must leave immediately but I'm sure his majesty can tell you later."

"Very well," Lucifer smirked. "The Martial Lord demands my attention, so if you'll excuse me." With that he jumped out of the VIP room's window and transformed into a swarm of bats that raced towards the arena floor.

"You sold us out!" the High Priest of Fire roared once he felt that Lucifer was out of earshot.

"I didn't!" Jircniv practically squeaked.

"You didn't?" the High Priest of Wind laughed scornfully. "No matter how you look at it, he knew everything about what was transpiring here! Everything he has done is clearly to mock a bunch of fools who are moving exactly as he predicted! How much did you tell him? How many people do you plan to sacrifice to save your own skin? You must've asked him to use that illogically powerful spell as well, didn't you?" Jircniv gulped. The Immortal Emperor had struck a magnificent blow against them when it was most effective. With a single stroke Lucifer had crippled the Empire and told them that they had no choice but to betray humanity.

"Please, I didn't tell him anything," Jircniv pleaded.

"Even if you are telling the truth you cannot deny that your operation has been compromised!" the High Priest of Wind rebuked. "I'm afraid we will not be meeting again."

"Wait! Please tell me what the temples think! What do you think of the Immortal Emperor?" Jircniv demanded.

"The Immortal Emperor is a wicked undead abomination and we will not suffer him to call himself an emperor," the High Priest of Fire growled. "However, we cannot defeat him in conventional battle, so we must find another way to destroy him."

"Betray us if you will Empeor Jircniv, you who have been seduced by evil power," the High Priest of Wind spat, practically excommunicating Jircniv from the churches for being in league with one of the universal enemies: the undead. The Empire was doomed. The churches would no longer provide healing, chaos would reign, and when the Eternal Empire decided to "send troops to keep order in an ally's nation" there would be no one to help with the dead and injured, just a bunch of undead creatures taking control.

"Please allow me to say one last thing," Jircniv sighed, deciding all he could do was be honest. "That man's cunning far surpasses my own and I fear that he didn't even need spies, he simply predicted that we would be here. I wouldn't believe me if I were in your position, but I truly did not sell you out. While this may be hard to believe, as a fellow human being, I wish to tell you that the Immortal Emperor has been surprisingly merciful to the people of E-Rantel."

"But we don't know how long that will last, do we?" the High Priest of Fire scoffed.

"No, but for the time being at least they are safe," Jircniv continued. "If we embark on a war that we cannot win I fear that we will all be annihilated. So, please, do not make any rash moves." The priests looked at each other before looking back at Jircniv with less hostility than before.

"Perhaps we were too emotional," the High Priest of Fire sighed. "If that monster is truly as cunning as you say, then all of this may very well have been part of his plans. I hope that we may meet again."

"Thank you," Jircniv said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Please, keep an eye on the fight. If you can discover a way to defeat him, please tell me." The priests nodded in response and left without a word.

"Good luck Martial Lord."

* * *

A swarm of bats raced towards the arena floor and merged together to become a man armed with a staff. Lucifer smirked as the arena went silent. They couldn't look away from his soulless red eyes or his magnificent armor. He had used [Perfect Warrior] before coming her and was now wearing Touch-Me's armor, except for the helmet. He had thoroughly interrogated Fluder about whatever magic items the Martial Lord may have and had prepared accordingly after rewarding Fluder with several spell tomes. He could sense the Martial Lord approaching through a mixture of instincts and a pungent odor that his improved senses, unfortunately, picked up on. When the armored behemoth finally emerged from his end of the stadium, the crowd erupted in cheering. The Martial Lord was clad in a suit of full plate armor and carried a massive club. He was like a fortress on legs. He was a War Troll, but unlike the ones he had encountered in the Great Forest of Tob this one had the aura of an honorable warrior instead of a crazed barbarian.

"I am the War Troll Go Gin. Most refer to me as the Martial Lord," Go Gin introduced himself.

"I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul and the father of all vampires," Lucifer returned the favor.

"I look forward to our battle," Go Gin said with a nod.

 _It seems he doesn't have a problem with long names like the other trolls I encountered. Judging by their differences in demeanor I'll consider him an exception to the rule._

"I like you Martial Lord. How about I keep you if I win?" Lucifer offered.

"And if I win?" Go Gin asked as he tilted his head.

"What do you want?"

"You," Go Gin growled. "I will feast on your corpse and become stronger by devouring a worthy opponent.

 _Ah. I can understand that. We vampires aren't too different from that, except we drink blood of powerful foes instead of eating them._

"Very well. How far apart should we start? Ten meters or so?" Lucifer suggested.

"There are no rules pertaining to distance and it doesn't matter. You'll be within my striking range soon enough anyway," Go Gin replied.

"This is handicap for you," Luicfer taunted. Go Gin simply nodded, not baited at all, as the two of them walked to their spots.

 _Smarter than he looks. At least he's not some overemotional idiot who'll throw a fit at the slightest insult._

The bell went off and a large shadow immediately swallowed Lucifer up.

 _Dammit he's fast!_

Go Gin swung his club down on Lucifer, forcing him to roll to the side. When the dust settled, it revealed Go Gin had remained standing where Lucifer had been seconds ago with his club pointed at Lucifer, implying that any attacks he made would be intercepted. Lucifer accepted Go Gin's nonverbal challenge and charged. As he came into range, he swung his staff with tremendous force at the tip of the club, knocking Go Gin off balance. The force of the impact had temporarily numbed Go Gin's limb, so Lucifer closed in to attack while sending a mental command, [Billowing Flames] to his staff. The staff was covered in flames, drawing Go Gin's attention. Trolls had regenerative abilities, but these were negated by fire and acid attacks. However, the flames were diversion and Lucifer simply placed his empty left hand onto the Martial Lord. Go Gin shuddered like he had been electrocuted and wildly swung at Lucifer, who was sent flying. He had turned off High-Tier nullification for this fight in order to get more out of this fight in terms of XP. However, bludgeoning attacks didn't do much against vampires anyway. Only fire, silver, and holy attacks would be a real threat to him. Lucifer spun in the air and landed on his feet while the momentum from the strike made his feet leave skid marks in the arena floor. The crowd started cheering wildly.

 _I know you're all hoping that he'll kill me, but in vain. Idiotic humans think that strike actually hurt._

There was no follow up attack, which made those who were cheering shut up as they realized something was wrong. Go Gin was panting and moving sluggishly.

"Wh-what is this?" Go Gin gasped.

"I didn't break the rules, if that's what you are worried about," Lucifer chucked ominously as he slowly approached Go Gin once again. "My touch can simply infuse negative energy into an opponent's body to damage you, but a troll's regeneration can heal that. So instead, I thought it would be best to stick with physical ability damage, slowing and weakening you until you're as threatening as a caterpillar." The closer Lucifer got, the farther away Go Gin tried to move away. The audience was turning pale as they realized who had the advantage. Lucifer took a stiletto from out of nowhere, one of the stilettos Clementine had used, and shot towards the Martial Lord like an arrow. Go Gin swung his club wildly in an attempt to keep Lucifer away, but Lucifer ducked under the massive weapon and stabbed through Go Gin's armor and into his body.

"[Reinforce Hide]! [Greater Reinforce Hide]!" Go Gin shouted, activating his martial arts. It was as if something in his body was pushing the stiletto back out, but Lucifer had anticipated this. He activated the [Fireball] embedded within the stiletto, causing the fire to explode inside Go Gin's body. Go Gin howled in pain and lashed out, knocking Lucifer back about ten meters. When Lucifer looked back at the wounded troll, he saw his arm dangling limply at his side as he readied the arm that was holding his club. The crowd started wailing as they realized their beloved Martial Lord was losing.

"Lay down and accept defeat, mortal," Lucifer smirked.

"No! I am the Martial Lord! It is my honor to bear that title and in accordance with my reputation, I will struggle until I die!" Go Gin declared as he removed his helmet.

"Commendable but futile," Lucifer shrugged and walked towards him only to be met with a charge, faster than how he was moving earlier. Lucifer's eyes narrowed.

 _Sneaky bastard. He was faking an injury in order to attack me when my guard was down! Well played Martial Lord well played._

"[Strong Strike]! [Divine Skill Single Flash]!" Go Gin roared as he closed in. Lucifer felt pain this time as he was sent flying. "[Flow Acceleration]!" Before Lucifer could even hit the ground, he was attacked from above by Go Gin, sending him slamming into the ground leaving a large dent.

 _It just HAD to be divine!_

Go Gin made a third follow-up attack from above but Lucifer rolled away with a grin on his face. Go Gin didn't waste a second and swung his club upwards out of the ground in an attempt to hit Lucifer from below, but Lucifer jumped back out of range. The crowd was cheering again. Smirking at what their reaction would be when he finished off their beloved Martial Lord, Lucifer dropped his staff, ran at Go Gin, jumped over a wild swing from his club, and grabbed the Martial Lord's face with both hands infusing him with negative energy once more. Go Gin yelled as he lifted his club in an attempt to get Lucifer off him, which he did, but Lucifer took a part of Go Gin with him. Those fangs aren't just for decoration after all. He clamped his jaws onto Go Gin's neck eliciting a roar of pain and when Go Gin landed a strike on Lucifer, sending him about twenty meters away, a portion of Go Gin's neck was removed by Lucifer's fangs. With a smirk, he swallowed the part of Go Gin's neck he had in his mouth, savoring the taste of blood.

"Am I weak?" Go Gin suddenly asked causing the audience to go silent.

"Excuse me?" Lucifer asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Your majesty, you haven't revealed even a fraction your true power up until now," Go Gin said solemnly. "Even without the mighty wings of your magic, this clearly isn't taxing you. Am I really that weak?"

"Yes. You are weak," Lucifer responded coldly. "During this battle, I forbade myself from using several abilities, magic items, and magic itself."

"Otherwise you would have ended this instantly?" Go Gin asked although he already knew the answer.

"Yes. If it makes you feel any better, you are very skilled considering that you are a mortal," Lucifer stated as he started walking back towards Go Gin.

"Still, I am glad. Knowing that there is someone stronger than me drives me to improve," Go Gin chuckled.

"I understand that to an extent," Lucifer commented as he thought about Touch-Me, whom he had never been able to beat in PVP.

"Your majesty, at the very end, please show me your true power. Even if it is just a fraction, I want to experience the pinnacle of might!" Go Gin declared.

"Very well," Lucifer responded as he reactivated his skills. He walked into range of Go Gin's club, who began frantically raining blows down upon Lucifer. Lucifer didn't feel them since he had reactivated his High-Tier Nullification. He took blow after blow but continued to slowly and calmly approach Go Gin. Finally, Go Gin stopped and gave a smile that said "I give up". Lucifer preformed a backhand slap across Go Gin's face which caused his head to turn around 360 degrees, snapping his neck. Lucifer looked back up at the audience who were still silent.

"Hear me, people of the Baharuth Empire!" Lucifer shouted with a magically amplified voice. "I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul! I intend to establish a program to train and raise adventurers within my country. This is because I consider it advantageous for my empire to cultivate and protect adventurers before sending them off to discover the blank spaces of the maps. Many adventurers must survive on their own resources, but what of those who are cut down before they reach their prime? Therefore, I intend to incorporate the Adventurer's Guild into my own nation! Those who fear that they will lose their freedom and be shackled down once it becomes a national organization, I cannot rule it out. However, I do not intend to use you as tools of war for, as I have just shown, my own strength is more than adequate. The Eternal Empire thirsts for those who truly seek adventure! If you wish to explore the unknown and understand the world we inhabit, come to me! I will give you the power to stand strong in the face of the unknown!" Lucifer paused in his speech to walk over to Go Gin's body. "The Martial Lord is dead. Death is the end of everything, yet as many of you probably know, death can be fought off," he said as he drew a wand of resurrection. He cast a spell on Go Gin, returning life to him and causing him to sit up suddenly and start coughing. "Ressurection magic is the province of high level priests, yet it is no challenge for me! I am the God of Life and Death, changing one's state of being from dead to alive is as easy as breathing for me! Come to me, you who seek to become true adventurers and I, who controls life and death, will support you!" With his speech finished, Lucifer used [Fly] and flew up to where Jircniv was. The two of them simply stared at each other for a minute before Jircniv broke the silence.

"That was incredible, Lord Dracul. I didn't expect you to be able to triumph over the Empire's strongest warrior so easily. How foolish of me." Jircniv praised, although he sounded like a man who had abandoned all hope.

"Thank you Jircniv, but we both know that's not why I am here," Lucifer said coldly. "You remember what I told you when we first met? I gave you the benefit of the doubt and you betrayed me. I gave you a chance and you blew it. I don't give second chances. Consider this an official declaration of war." Jircniv gave a wry smile.

"I understand. Then please consider this our official surrender," Jircniv sighed as Nimble and Baziwood stared at the two of them.

"You're not even going to try to fight?" Lucifer asked.

"All fighting you would do is get more people killed," Jircniv sighed.

"You do know I do not want any vassals, correct?" Lucifer smirked.

"Then the entirety of the Baharuth Empire will be officially dissolved and become part of the Eternal Empire," Jircniv replied. "We shall adhere to you laws and whims. All I ask is that the citizens be treated fairly."

"I accept your terms," Lucifer nodded. "I will give you the task of administering my will in this region. You are a skilled mortal and it would be wasteful of me to dispose of you, therefore I will give you the position of senator. My subordinates will arrive within the hour to dictate what is to be done, Senator Jircniv."

"As you command, your majesty," Jircniv bowed. Lucifer simply nodded in response before teleporting away.

"Your majesty!" Nimble cried out once Luicfer was gone.

"No, not "your majesty" anymore. I am but a humble senator in service to our Immortal Emperor," Jircniv said lifelessly.

"Why sir?" Baziwood asked, eyes wide.

"What else can we do?" Jircniv asked, laughing at himself. "We will get no help from the Theocracy and the temples hate us. The only way to keep our civilization from collapsing is to allow him to start building his own churches like he did in E-Rantel for us where we can receive healing. He is truly a twisted genius. First he lets his prey grow proud and arrogant then he cripples them at the moment it would hurt them the most. It was a scheme so perfect I don't know what to say. He is a master of breaking a man's will."

"I see," Baziwood grumbled. "He got us by the balls."

"And then he took away all our options when he said he would declare war on us," Jircniv sighed. "It would've been a war that we could not win, a war that we would get no allies to help us with, and a war that would've left millions of our people dead while his own remain practically unscathed. It was either surrender now and save our people or surrender later after the deaths of millions of innocents. You saw it in the war, Nimble. He is most powerful as magic caster. But as a warrior? Even the Martial Lord couldn't beat him. I didn't think there was such a thing as invincibility until today. He TRULY is an Immortal Emperor. He truly is a god. The God of Life and Death, you saw it yourselves. He is an opponent we cannot possibly defeat and cannot hope to fathom. At least that announcement to the adventurers will turn people against him."

"I don't know sir," Nimble interjected. "While having one's freedom restricted is unappealing, having the backing of the immensely powerful Immortal Emperor is extremely tempting. A lot of adventurers die before they can make a name for themselves, but with that man supporting them they could reach new height."

"Damn you Lucifer Dracul! Why must you intelligence surpass my own so greatly?" Jircniv yelled as he gripped his head before sighing. "Let's just get this over with. The Baharuth Empire is no more, and the Eternal Empire has grown even stronger. Our best bet is to make ourselves useful to him. My only hope is that our lives will not be destroyed and that things may actually improve. Keep an eye on the priests, they will no doubt be a problem. Who knows how the nobles will react." It had only been a month since Lucifer founded the Eternal Empire and already everything had changed.

And thus the Baharuth Empire was no more.

* * *

 **Would've** **uploaded earlier but I had company yesterday and I was fucking tired as hell.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	26. The Diet

Chapter 25: The Diet

The carriages from the Kingdom passed by hundreds, if not thousands, of low level undead workers moving marble, stone, metal, and lumber on their way to Nazarick. The undead were creating the layout for a city of colossal scales that would completely surround Nazarick with buildings designed in ways that had never been seen. The architecture was based off the interior of Nazarick, the massive roads were being laid in shiny black granite, the walls of building were made of pure white marble, and the undead were creating metal supports for buildings, concrete structures, and what could pass as modern plumbing. This would become the capitol city of the Eternal Empire, a city unlike any other. The carriages stopped at the massive metal walls as the soldiers who were on guard began inspection. Metallic, four armed creatures they had never seen before stalked the perimeter in groups of six. Princess Renner stared at them with curiosity while Climb kept an eye on it out of fear that it may attack. A tall figure in dark armor and red robes spoke with those in the carriages while an Elder Lich performed magical inspection to analyze and magical items these humans may be bringing into their home. After a few minutes of waiting, the creature leaned down to peer into the carriage at the very end which contained Princess Renner, Climb, Brain, and Evileye.

"State your names, mortals!" the Dark Paladin boomed.

"I am Princess Renner of the Re-Estize Kingdom and these are my bodyguards, Climb, Brain Unglaus, and Evileye," Renner informed the behemoth.

"You may enter. Welcome to Nazarick," the Dark Paladin said with a bow. Having been given permission, the carriage strolled under the massive lattice gate and into Nazarick's cemetery. Upon leaving the carriage, they saw many other carriages that bore the insignias of the Slane Theocracy, the Draconic Kingdom, and a few that looked like they belonged to the Baharuth Empire but had the imperial crest had been hastily replaced by the Eternal Empire's symbol had all parked in the cemetery as well and were being guarded by those metal things. Curious, Climb walked up behind a man in black armor who was directing the Death Knights.

"Excuse me, but what can you tell me about those things?" he asked.

"Depends on how much you want to know, Climb," a familiar voice answered as he turned around. Climb and Brain gasped. It was Gazef. He looked almost the same as when they had last seen him apart from the red eyes and pale skin. He seemed happy to see them.

"Gazef, it's been a while," Brain said with a grin when he finally recomposed himself. "You're still you, right?"

"I think I'm still me," Gazef shrugged. "Of course, I wouldn't know even if I wasn't."

"What are you doing here?" Climb asked, happy to see the man he looked up to.

"His majesty asked me to manage the security detail outside and lead the delegates from other countries to the dining hall," Gazef replied.

"Gazef," an older voice gasped. Gazef turned to see his former king, Rampossa, staring at him while Ritton sneered at him from the king's left and Raeven gave a nod of respect from the king's right.

"It is good to see you, your majesty," Gazef said. "I understand you would like to catch up but I still have some work to do. If you would please follow me." With that, Gazef turned around and led the Kingdom's delegates, followed by the members of Blue Rose, into the Great Tomb of Nazarick. After leaving the "creepy", as Renner called it, tombs of the 1st Floor, they came to an empty hallway. That was when Gazef finally used the message spell.

[Lady Omega, please open a [Gate] on the 1st Floor at point 1-A5]

[You got it!] came a sweet voice. In response to Gazef's request, a large portal of swirling darkness appeared before them.

"Please step inside. This will transport you to the 9th Floor," Gazef instructed.

"Are you mad!?" Ritton yelled. "I am not setting one foot in this contraption! You'll just have to lead me there on foot."

"Then you can stay down here and become food for the undead," Gazef smirked.

"What!?" Ritton demanded, infuriated that Gazef would speak to him like that. "Do you remember who you're talking to?"

"Yes, and you've reminded me of something else I always wanted to say," Gazef grinned. "Go fuck yourself. The Immortal Emperor doesn't care what happens to you. You're beneath his notice." Ritton was fuming. How dare Gazef say he wasn't worth this vampire's attention? The Immortal Emperor should be grateful that Ritton, a noble, would show ANY respect to this commoner who dared to call himself a ruler. However, if he wanted this monster to understand just how important the nobles were or try to bribe him to denounce the rebellion in the Kingdom, then he would have to play along for now. Without any further arguments, the Kingdom's representatives entered the gate and everything turned black for a moment. When their sight returned to them, they were greeted with a magnificent sight. A grand hall with high made of the purest white marble ceilings and black granite floors. There was red carpeting on the floor and blood red banners that bore the Eternal Empire's symbol hanging from the ceiling. Along the walls there were mosaics of monsters, battles, undead creatures, angels, and demons. The three biggest were in the center of the room. The one on the left was of a paladin in white armor with a large sapphire on his chest holding a sword and apparently leading the way to a new dawn. The one on the right showed what looked like some sort of creature with a head that was similar to that of a white goat with horns sprouting from its head and wearing dark military clothing. It was depicted as being a force of death, destruction, and evil. Finally, the on in the middle was of Lucifer Dracul himself with his typical cold smile and soulless eyes. His arms were outstretched and his mural was divided into two. On the left half, life flourished, there was peace and harmony, and a rose was growing from his left hand. On the right half, there was a depiction of hell with a burning skull being held in his right hand.

"Wow," Climb breathed as Ritton stared around slack jawed and jealous that he didn't have anything that could amount to this.

"Forget the art, you smell that?" Brain interjected. Both he and Climb turned to face a table full of the most delicious looking food they had ever seen. It was at this point they noticed the other people gathered in the hall. Along the walls were more of those mechanical four armed creatures, delegates from all over the known world were talking with each other, and the one closest to them was…..

"Emperor Jircniv," Zanac growled. Jircniv looked up at them with a faint smile as his bodyguards Nimble and Baziwood narrowed their eyes at the people of the Kingdom.

"Good evening, but I'm afraid you're mistaken. I am Senator Jircniv, a loyal servant of the Immortal Emperor," Jircniv said glumly before he turned his attention to King Rampossa. "The Baharuth Empire is no more. My entire country now marches under the banner of the Eternal Empire." Those from the Kingdom stared with wide eyes. They had not heard of Baharuth's surrender. "I owe you a sincere apology."

"Excuse me?" Rampossa asked with an eyebrow raised.

"It was all my fault. It's my fault he used that spell on Katze Plains," Jircniv sighed. "I wanted to investigate how powerful he was so I could plan some way to fight back. If I had known the kind of power he possessed I would've surrendered to him right there and then." Rampossa stared at the man he once regarded as his mortal enemy and wondered what Lucifer had done to break the man known as the Blood Emperor. In that moment, he felt a sort of kinship with the young ex-ruler, they had both been thoroughly broken by the same man and misery loved company.

"You and I have been fighting for years. I'm tired of it," Rampossa sighed. "Do they have any drinks around here?" Jircniv gave an honest grin to the old man and chuckled lightly.

"I'm sure we can find some. The Immortal Emperor's maids will be happy to point us in the right direction," Jircniv chuckled as he and his former nemesis walked off looking for booze with Nimble and Baziwood following their boss while Tina and Tia guarded the king.

"Evileye," Lakyus spoke up. "Gargan and I will stick with Princess Renner's group. If you want to find Momon in all of this, now's a good time."

"Got it!" Evileye replied cheerfully. "But how will I find him with all these people around?"

"Just look for the walking suit of black armor over there," Gargan said as she pointed out a familiar figure in the crowd. Evileye spun around and looked towards where Gargan was pointing. Sure enough, there was Momon with his arms crossed watching over some tall guy who was speaking to a beautiful pregnant woman in a white dress with black wings and curved horns sprouting from the sides of her head.

"MOMON!" Evileye exclaimed as she rushed towards him. Momon stiffened and looked around for the source of the voice before having his leg hug tackled.

"Um-I don't-what?" Momon stuttered out, flustered.

"Now, now, Momon. It's rude not to introduce your guest," a cold voice called from behind Evileye, sending chills down her spine. She let go of Momon's leg, spun around, and came face to face with death given human form. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul." Evileye stared through her mask at Lucifer. She had heard all the rumors about him and thought they had been exaggerated, but standing in his presence now felt like all that was good in the world was dead. The rumors needed more exaggeration if they wanted to be anywhere near accurate.

"H-hello. I am the adamantite ranked adventurer Evileye of Blue Rose," Evileye said, refusing to show her fear.

"Ah, yes. I know who you are. Momon has already told me everything about you," Lucifer replied with a charming smile. Evileye's brain went into overdrive.

 _Momon talks about me? What does he say about me? Are they good things? Does he think I'm cute?_

"Hello flea," a familiar voice called from behind Evileye. Nabe had arrived while wearing a formal dinner dress that made Evileye extremely jealous, but she suppressed her urge to act on said jealousy. Evileye gave her a nod of recognition while Nabe simply scowled, as usual.

"Momon, why don't you and your friend go catch up? Take the night off," Lucifer offered.

"Jawohl- I mean, very well," Momon replied. Before Evileye could go find a seat with him, Lucifer grabbed her by the shoulder and leaned in close to her ear.

"I am the father of all vampires and I know one of my children when I see one," he hissed. Evileye turned paler than usual as she realized that he knew that she was a vampire just like him. "We will speak of this another day." And with that he walked off into the crowd leaving a terrified Evileye to go seek comfort in the form of Momon.

* * *

Ruvik, Mori, and Corvo were watching over the Cardinal of Light, the Cardinal of Darkness, and the Archbishop. Ruvik had gotten a shave and had fixed himself upon hearing that Avenir was alive, Corvo looked as grumpy as always, growling at any noblewomen who tried to hit on him, and Mori hadn't changed a bit. The Cardinal of Darkness had a plate of food which he was eating in a manner that looked like he didn't give a rat's ass about the amazing decorum and the Cardinal of Light was shouting at a Dark Paladin that was blocking a door.

"Are you telling me that I can't go out there? Do you know who I am?" the Cardinal of Light demanded.

"No I don't know who you are and I never said you weren't allowed in," the Dark Paladin reported. "I simply informed you that you would die if you went through this door."

"That's the same thing!" the Cardinal of Light yelled in frustration.

"Settle down Yvon," the Cardinal of Darkness sighed. "This monster is merely following orders and you're giving me a headache." The Archbishop Pontifex Maximus continued to stare at the glorious hall in awe.

"This is quite disturbing," Maximus mumbled. "This only the 9th Floor and it's enormous. Who knows what can be on the other eight floors? There can be sinister contraptions, unholy abominations, and armies of darkness preparing to destroy the world. But then again, if he wanted to destroy the world then why is he building a city outside? Will it be a city for the undead and other nonhuman abominations? How did Lucifer come by this place in the first place? I refuse to believe an unholy abomination like him could build such a magnificent place. Did he steal it from our gods? I suppose I will have to ask him. But then again, he would probably lie." Ruvik groaned as he listened to the cardinal and the Archbishop's grumbling. This is why he preferred a fight over politics. It was also why he was focused on looking for something that was much more important to him on a personal level.

"Ruvik," Corvo grunted as he gestured towards one of the doors the Dark Paladins had been guarding. Ruvik looked towards the door that Corvo was indicating and saw who he had been looking for: Avenir. She was the same as she was the last time he had seen her apart from the red eyes and pale skin, but then again she had always been pale to begin with. "Go ahead. I'll keep these idiots from killing each other," Corvo said as he glared at the Cardinal of Light. Ruvik nodded in thanks and walked towards Avenir at a quick pace.

"Corvo!" the Cardinal of Light shouted. "Where is Ruvik going?"

"Gathering intelligence on the enemy," Corvo lied as he hid a smirk. The Black Scripture was about to find itself compromised even further. Avenir would see to that, just as his master had predicted.

* * *

"How have things been back in the Kingdom?" Momon, who had removed his helmet, inquired while Nabe sat by and drank tea, keeping an eye on Evileye.

"Not good," Evileye sighed. "The rebel factions are mostly just creating chaos and starting riots wherever they can. The only one that's actually organized is the National Liberation Party. They're led by a man named Sebas Tian.

"He's the one Climb suggested back during the Demonic Disturbance," Momon stated in remembrance.

"Yes. Apparently he wants to put Princess Renner in charge and end the nobility," Evileye confirmed.

"I see. So they have taken inspiration from Lord Dracul?" Momon asked.

"It looks that way. By the way that actually brings up what I wanted to talk to you about," Evileye said seriously. "Why did you chose to follow him? Isn't he an evil vampire hell-bent on slaughtering the living? I've been getting a lot of mixed views of him, but you actually hang around him a lot. What you think of him?"

"When I first agreed to work with him it was because I was afraid he would be a vampire like Valeda Tepes. By keeping close to him I have been able to monitor his activities and have been ready to cut his head off," Momon replied. "However, as I continued to observe him, I found he is not what I was expecting. As an undead, he is supposed to hate the living but he doesn't. He certainly doesn't view them as his equals either, unfortunately. His view of us "mortals" as he calls us is as if we are adorable, helpless animals who are prone to making mistakes. He believes that it is his responsibility as the God of Life and Death to keep us from making those mistakes and to keep us safe. Overall, he is a very rational man. If an action would benefit him or his people he would take that action. If an action is a detriment or is unreasonable then he will not take that action. He prefers logic over emotion."

"I see," Evileye mused.

 _Maybe I'm not the only vampire who doesn't hate humanity. Still, I should remain cautious._

"Soooooo, how's your eye?" Evileye asked as she gestured to the eyepatch Momon had worn since losing his eye to Jaldabaoth.

"It's alright," Momon chuckled. "The Immortal Emperor actually said he could heal my wound, but I turned him down."

"Really? Even Lakyus wasn't able to fix it!" Evileye exclaimed. Not only was Lucifer Dracul capable of causing apocalyptic levels of destruction, but he was able to heal injuries that even the most esteemed healers couldn't hope to repair. "Why'd you turn him down?" Momon grinned and made an exaggeratedly dramatic pose.

"I thought it made me look badass," he said with a grin. Evileye and Momon stared at each other for a few seconds before they burst out laughing. Nabe shook her head as she observed her colleague and the gnat laugh like a couple of teenagers.

 _The mood seems pretty good right now. I may have a chance with him after all._

* * *

Queen Draudillon walked through the crowd in the loli form she hated so much. She and her Prime Minister were out of options when it came to the situation in the Draconic Kingdom. By their projections, the Beastmen would completely wipe them out within four months if they were lucky. If it wasn't for the growing crisis on her hands then she wouldn't have come here in the first place. If the Immortal Emperor was all that they said he was, then he might be their best chance to get out of this mess. Draudillon didn't care if her dynasty survived anymore, only that her people would be saved from becoming meals for the Beastmen. As she continued to look around the room for whoever may be Lucifer Dracul, she bumped into somebody's back causing him to spill his drink on his orange suit.

"Oh! My apologies sir!" she squeaked. She hated talking in this voice but it was necessary as it gave her an edge in getting people to want to protect her.

"Cretin," the man snarled. Apparently, her trick didn't work on him.

"C-can I get you a new drink?" she offered as the man turned his spectacled eyes towards her.

"No. I apologize for my outburst," he said politely. Now that she got a good look at him, she noticed he wasn't human, in fact he appeared to be a demon of some sort.

"Are you perhaps a subordinate of the Immortal Emperor?" she asked.

"Yes," the demon said proudly. "I am Director Demiurge. I organize all covert operations for the Eternal Empire."

"I am Queen Draudillon," she said with a bow. "I was hoping if I could speak to his majesty. Could you point him out for me?"

"I suppose, but you should really change to whatever your true form is," Demiurge scolded. "Changing yourself to look like a child may be considered an insult to my master." Draudillon froze, disturbed by how easily this demon had figured her out. She was about to inquire how when they were interrupted.

"Jaldabaoth!" Lakyus roared as she charged towards Demiurge. Demiurge wasn't particularly afraid of the massive sword she was lunging towards him with, but he was annoyed that someone had recognized him.

 _It doesn't really matter. Our lord had a feeling that this may happen and prepared accordingly._

Just as Lakyus' sword was about to strike Demiurge, another massive sword blocked her attack. Her eyes widened as Momon deflected her blow on Demiurge's behalf and she backed away.

"What are you doing Momon! That's Jaldabaoth!" she cried. Momon simply shook his head.

"No, but I understand why you would think that. This is Demiurge. I reacted the same way when I first met him. Emperor Dracul will explain when the diet begins," Momon assured her.

"It's okay Lakyus!" Evileye shouted as she ran up. "Momon already explained everything to me!" Lakyus looked over at her teammate who was motioning her to back off and, with a sigh, she sheathed her blade.

"You're going to explain this later, right?" she asked Demiurge.

"I have no intention of leaving my liege's side," the demon smirked as he glanced to his master, who was discussing something quietly with Marquis Raeven.

* * *

Avenir started guzzling the flask of blood she had been given by Shalltear as reparations for their "mishap". Lord Dracul had told her that vampires who were strong enough could go without blood and could eat regular food. She apparently, wasn't strong enough yet. She had tried a piece of what Entoma had called sirloin and when it entered her mouth, it turned to ash. Which was why she was now guzzling blood to get the taste of ash out of her mouth.

"Bleh!" she exclaimed when she finally finished. She pouted as she thought about how this feast fit for the gods had been laid out before her and she couldn't try any of it. "Oh, I hate being a vampire!" she moaned.

"So that's what happened to you," a soothing, familiar voice came from behind her. Avenir started to panic. She'd know Ruvik's voice anywhere. She was extremely nervous, they hadn't seen each other since the incident back in E-Rantel.

 _What do I do!? How am I supposed at address the fact that I'm a vampire now and that I plan to turn him into one so we can be together forever? Will he think I'm a freak? How will he respond when I tell him how I feel? Can vampires have kids? Do vampires blush? If they do I'm totally blushing!_

Avenir slowly turned around to face Ruvik. Each of them were red in the face and nervous about confronting each other. Ruvik couldn't help but to stare at her while Avenir's eyes frantically darted all over the room.

 _Come on Ruvik, you almost lost her once. Don't wimp out now you may not get a second chance. How do we address the whole vampire thing? Can she have kids? Will she hate me because she's undead and I'm a human?_

"H-hey Avenir. It's uh been a while," he managed to say.

"Y-yeah. Good to see you," she stuttered. Jigsaw just stared at the obvious lovebirds with an annoyed expression under his mask.

"By the Supreme Being this is bloody painful to watch," Jigsaw muttered to Neuronist. "They're obviously arse over tits for each other, can they just get this shite over with?"

"Aw, but they're so cute!" Neuronist countered.

"Cute? Bah! You're absolutely barmy mate! "Cute" is a psychological defect in the brain that interprets weakness into something positive. Stupid wankers," Jigsaw scoffed.

"So, you're a vampire now?" Ruvik finally asked.

"Yeah," Avenir said quietly. Neither of them were good with people. Both of them had done nothing but kill monsters since they were kids and both had issues to add on top of that.

"So, personal choice, or was it by force?" Ruvik asked seriously.

"He made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Avenir muttered.

"Like what?" Ruvik inquired with an eyebrow raised.

"Well he said that if I agreed to serve him for eternity, he would reward me with something of equal value to eternity," Avenir said, fidgeting. "I-I made him promise to spare you."

"Was it really worth it?" Ruvik asked, feeling guilty that she was in this situation because of him.

"Ye-yes," she responded, as red in the face as a vampire could get.

"Well, I would've done the same for you," Ruvik commented causing Avenir to stare at him hopefully. "Avenir, I uh-" before he could continue, black gloved hands grabbed onto each of their shoulders.

"SWEET FUCKABLE CHRIST!" Jigsaw shouted. "YOU'RE ARSE OVER TITS FOR EACH OTHER! NOW HURRY THE HELL UP, GET A ROOM, AND GET BUFFIN!" Avenir and Ruvik stared at the madman for a few moments, not fully understanding what he said.

"What does-" Avenir began.

"Bloody hell! Sex! Fuck! Bang! Whatever you people call it! Get naked and work this shite out!" Jigsaw exclaimed, eliciting blushes from both individuals as he stomped off muttering something about "bloody drama queens" to himself.

"Do you wanna-" Ruvik started but was unable to finish his sentence.

"Yes," Avenir said nervously. With that awkward exchange taken care of, Avenir led Ruvik out of the hall and towards her room in Nazarick. Brain Unglaus watched them leave with an expression on his face that looked like he didn't know whether to smile or scowl so he settled for twitching. He and Climb had intentionally been keeping their distance from the Immortal Emperor and were sticking near the food while Princess Renner, who Climb refused to let out of his sight, chatted with someone Brain fearfully recognized as Shalltear Bloodfallen, who kept sending glares at Brain when no one was looking. Lakyus had run off when she heard a voice she recognized leaving Gargan alone.

"What is it Brain?" Climb asked.

"You saw that girl with the blue hair over there?" Brain asked.

"Yeah," Climb shrugged as he took a sip from, he wasn't sure what it was but it tasted good.

"That was my daughter," Brain said nonchalantly. Climb coughed out his drink and stared at his unofficial mentor.

"Your daughter works for the Immortal Emperor?" Climb choked out.

"Apparently," Brain shrugged. "I found out while I was looking for someone to replace Gazef. During that time, I was also doing some digging on the Immortal Emperor and his subordinates. I traced the girl, Avenir, back to the Slane Theocracy and found out that her mother was someone I used to full around with way back in the day. Hell, this was before Gazef and I even met."

"Should you go say something to her?" Climb asked.

"Nah," Brain shrugged as Avenir and Ruvik exited the hall. "She's got enough going on right now."

* * *

"So, you're the one responsible for crippling the Black Scripture," the Cardinal of Darkness stated as he looked up at Lucifer's face. Each of them had a pleasant smile, but their eyes radiated with hostility for each other.

"Yes, although it was their own fault," Lucifer grinned. "If they had simply left my subordinate alone none of this would've happened."

"Forgive my rudeness, I haven't even introduced myself. I am Maximillian Oreio Lagier, manager of the Black Scripture," the Cardinal of Darkness said with a bow.

"I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul of the Eternal Empire," Lucifer responded in turn.

"So, even vampires have manners," Maximus commented as he approached the two of them. "I'm surprised Lucifer. There isn't even a single drop of blood on the food. I suppose you have whatever poor souls you feed off of locked up somewhere out of the way?" The Cardinal of Darkness frowned at the Archbishop's demeanor while Lucifer let out a sinister chuckle.

"You mistake me for some lesser vampire, Archbishop," Lucifer said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "A vampire of my caliber no longer requires such basic sustenance nor do I recquire any of the primitive needs you humans have." The words "primitive" and "human" made the Archbishop frown.

"You know, it is customary for rulers to bow in the presence of the highest, holiest instrument of the gods' will, even if we are from separate countries," Maximus informed Lucifer with a scowl. "I insist you stop building these churches where your undead heal your people. Healing magic is a divine gift suitable for only the highest of priests and your undead are a mockery of our ways. You wouldn't want to be excommunicated by the church would you?"

"There's nothing holy about you, I don't care about your religion, the people chose to worship me because I don't charge them, and I spit on your gods," Lucifer stated coldly, not even pretending to be polite anymore. "You charge them and I don't. Who is the more charitable and divine being between the two of us?" The Archbishop turned red with anger and looked like he was ready to start yelling.

"Gentlemen, please," the Cardinal of Darkness cut in. "We are gathered to discuss politics, not religion."

"You are right," Lucifer sighed before smirking. "We can address the false gods you worship as well as discuss why I am right and you are wrong later." And with that he swaggered off. The Cardinal of Darkness sighed, fed up with the Archbishop and the Cardinal of Light. It was days like this he thought about killing them off and taking power for himself. He looked around for his bodyguards only to find Mori.

"Mori, where are Ruvik and Corvo?" the Cardinal of Darkness asked.

"I am unsure sir," Mori responded as he shrugged his gigantic shoulders. "I believe Sir Alaf went off to aquire intelligence from one the many vampires in the room while Sir Attano said that he noticed a flaw in the enemy's security and decided to investigate." The Cardinal of Darkness sighed. He wasn't sure what Ruvik was doing but Corvo had skills that couldn't be taught so he would simply have to trust the man's instincts and ask what he found when he returned.

* * *

Zanac was nervous as he approached the Immortal Emperor, who no doubt remembered the cold shoulder he had received from Zanac and his deceased elder brother when he visited them. He didn't want to talk to him, but it was his responsibility as the new heir to the throne to try to smooth over their differences. It wasn't hard to find him since he was the tallest person in the room. He was speaking with some beautiful horned woman who had wings that may or may not be magical items. Upon noticing the enlarged bump on her stomach, he recalled overhearing Lucifer say that he had a wife named Albedo and figured that she must be who Lucifer had been talking about.

"G-good evening, your majesty," Zanac said with a polite bow. "You may not remember me, but I am Prince Zanac, next in line for the throne." Lucifer and Albedo stopped their conversation to turn and stare coldly at Zanac, who trembled as if he could feel the ice from their stares sliding down his spine. "I assume that this lovely woman is the wife you mentioned, Empress Albedo Dracul. Congratulations on conceiving an heir, your majesty. May your dynasty reign long and prosperous." Lucifer raised an eyebrow as he recalled the convenient lie and managed to keep a stoic face despite his emotional control almost being overridden. His gaze drifted to Albedo to see how she interpreted this situation.

"Albedo Dracul…wife…family…..Empress Dracul….husband…..Emperor Lucifer Dracul…..he said I'm his wife…." she muttered incoherently as she blushed and smiled as if she was the happiest woman to ever live. The Albedoisms had begun.

 _Shit. Well she IS having MY mistake pop out of her. How much longer do I have anyway? Three or four months right? Am I really okay with this? Did her nose just start bleeding? What is this, a fucking anime? Goddammit Lucifer Dracul, focus!_

"Yes, my wife," Lucifer confirmed while masking his insecurity about the situation. It was at that moment Albedo's Albedoisms became Albedogasms.

"I hope that our two great nations can overlook our past misunderstandings and reach a mutually beneficial relationship," Zanac continued uneasily as he watched Albedo's Albedogasms. "Additionally, I hope that you may denounce the rebels in hopes that they may discontinue their senseless acts of barbarism and provide us with military support in restoring order to the Re-Estize Kingdom."

"There are multiple problems with what you are saying, Prince Zanac," Lucifer said coldly, ignoring the Albedogasms entirely. "What happened between our countries was NOT a misunderstanding as I was quite clear on what would happen if you did not cede E-Rantel to me, I have no intentions of ending a group such as the National Liberation Party that shares my beliefs in ending nobility, your country has absolutely nothing to offer me that I would actually want so any deals we make would NOT be mutually beneficial and would instead be charity, I do not support your Kingdom's nobility nor will I ever, and I do not find establishing relations with your country to be a worthwhile endeavor because by my calculations your country will cease to exist within the next five months and be absorbed into my empire. We are not equals and I will not pretend otherwise." Zanac stared with his mouth agape. He had no way to refute any of that. This man who he had scoffed at only a few months ago for being a commoner had every possible advantage whereas the Kingdom was falling apart. Before he could think of anything else to say, one of the maids called out in a magically amplified voice to the crowd.

"Attention esteemed delegates, the diet will begin on ten minutes," Yuri announced. "Please report to the round table room at your earliest convenience."

* * *

Corvo rode on horseback, which was "borrowed" from the Slane Theocracy, through the trees until he met up with Sebas' second in command, Freddon.

"Are you Freddon of the National Liberation Party?" Corvo asked.

"Yeah, that's me," Freddon nodded as he narrowed his eyes at this suspicious man. Several of Freddon's fellow rebels kept watch from a distance in case this man turned out to be an enemy.

"My name is Corvo Attano. I am an agent of the Immortal Emperor," Corvo declared as dismounted.

"So did Raeven talk to your emperor? Did he agree to help us?" Freddon asked hopefully.

"My lord regrets that he cannot take public action to help your cause for the time being, however he has agreed to provide weapons, funds, and operatives until we are prepared to publicly pledge support," Corvo informed them. The rebels let out sighs of relief and grinned.

"Will you be one of the agents that will be assisting us?" Freddon asked.

"For this assignment, yes," Corvo grunted. "However, once our task is complete I must resume my activities as a spy."

"That is where we will take up the task of supporting your cause," a new voice declared. The rebels turned to see Zur and several men in red robes appear from out of nowhere."My name is Zur, founder of Zuranon. The Immortal Emperor tasked my men and I with assisting the rebels of the Re-Estize Kingdom with claiming their freedom." The rebels stared at Zur, not sure whether or not they could trust Zuranon.

"Ain't Zuranon the motherfuckers who attacked E-Rantel?" one of them demanded.

"Although they were members of Zuranon, my organization did not sanction their activities. They were a rogue element, and I'm glad they were killed. It certainly saved me the trouble of hunting them down," Zur lied. The rebels looked at each other and began conversing.

"I don't know about this."

"Are you sure we can trust them?"

"Meh."

"We were told all vampires are evil, but Dracul has done more for us than the nobles ever did. Maybe those things we were told about Zuranon were lies too?"

"If the Immortal Emperor really did send these guys then I say we give e'm a chance."

"Alright, what's your damn plan?" Freddon asked.

"We are going to cripple the enemy's leadership and strike a major blow against the Royal family," Zur proclaimed. "We will need several men on horseback to keep the guards busy when the Kingdom's carriages come through here. Our friend Corvo will eliminate the primary target."

"Who's that?" another rebel asked.

"King Rampossa," Corvo grunted as he equipped his metallic, skull-like mask.

* * *

The representatives of the First International Diet of Nazarick had gathered around the round table where the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown used to have their meetings. The Cardinals of Light and Darkness sat on either side of the Archbishop while Mori and a disheveled Ruvik stood behind them. Queen Draudillon sat next to her prime minister, Arkan Centino, while several royal guards guarded them from behind. King Rampossa sat between Princess Renner, Prince Zanac, Marquis Raeven, and Count Ritton with Climb, Brain, and the members of Blue Rose behind them. Jircniv, Albedo, Demiurge, and Shalltear all sat by their Immortal Emperor.

"Thank you all for coming this evening," Lucifer began. "We are here to discuss any problems that we may be experiencing in our countries, address each other's concerns, and engage in more direct diplomacy."

"Why is Jircniv here?" the Cardinal of Light demanded. "The Baharuth Empire wasn't invited!"

"The Baharuth Empire has been dissolved into the Eternal Empire and thus Jircniv is here as a senator representing the region of Baharuth," Lucifer explained. The cardinals paled as Jircniv nodded in confirmation. When did this happen?

"Allow me to begin," Draudillon spoke up as she cleared her throat. "I am Queen Draudillon of the Draconic Kingdom. I am here to request aid for my country which is being torn apart by Beastmen. I'm not supposed to say this, but at this point I don't care if my government collapses as long as we can stop the Beastmen from eating my people." Once she was done with her plea, the representatives looked at each other and cringed. The Kingdom couldn't do anything about it with all their problems and the Slane Theocracy wouldn't lift a finger to help anyone as long they were preparing to fight Lucifer and eliminate the elves.

"That is quite the predicament, Queen Draudillon. I believe the Eternal Empire can assist you in this matter," Lucifer said, eliciting shocked expressions from the other delegates. The thought that this undead monster among monsters would help was surprising to say the least. "For the time being, I suggest you begin evacuating the noncombatants from your kingdom. It should be a fairly simple job seeing as your country sits on the borders of the region of Baharuth of the Eternal Empire. Jircniv, you will see to it that those who are evacuated are accommodated until they can return to their homes, yes?"

"Yes my lord, that should be a fairly manageable task," Jircniv replied.

"But there is a large mountain range between our borders! How are my people supposed to traverse that?" Draudillon cried.

"They won't. I will have my Dragon Airforce transport your people. At the same time they will drop off an army of Death Knights," Lucifer explained. "Momon."

"Sir?" Momon responded.

"I want you, Nabe, and Hamsuke to go with them. Slaughter the Beastmen tribes and then lead my army into the Beastmen country itself. Contact me when they are ready to negotiate," Lucifer commanded.

"As you decree, my lord," Momon said with a bow.

"Good. I have business to attend to in Azerlisia Mountains so I will not be joining you for now. Do not hesitate to contact me if you run into trouble," Lucifer ordered. "Does anyone else have anything to bring up?" The delegates of the Slane Theocracy kept their mouths shut, unwilling to admit that they had a plague on their hands as that would make them look weak and may prompt Lucifer to strike at them while they were down.

"I have a question," Gargan spoke up as she glared at Demiurge. "Who the hell is that and why the hell does he remind me of Jaldabaoth so much?"

"Ah yes. This is Director Demiurge. He oversees most covert operations the Eternal Empire administers," Lucifer replied. "As many of you have no doubt noticed, he has an uncanny resemblance to Jaldabaoth. As many of you are aware, Jaldabaoth is responsible for a dreadful catastrophe in Re-Estize known as the Demonic Disturbance."

"Yes. But what does that have to with Director Demiurge?" Raeven asked.

"Demiurge and Jaldabaoth are twin siblings," Lucifer lied causing everyone to gasp. Many of them looked fearful while others glared.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted!" the Cardinal of Light shouted. "You sent that demon to the Kingdom didn't you!?" He looked like he was going to keep yelling but Lucifer was in no mood.

"[Perfect Silence]," he said. Every time the Cardinal of Light opened his mouth to speak, no sound came out. It took him a few moments to realize this and when he finally did, he turned pale. "Now allow me to continue uninterrupted. It is true that Jaldabaoth used to serve me, but he betrayed me long before any of your countries even existed. We had a slight difference of opinion on what to do with humanity."

"What was this difference of opinion?" Renner asked.

"Jaldabaoth wanted all of mankind wiped out. I did not," Lucifer lied with a shrug. "So he stole several magical items from me and attempted a ritual that would kill every human alive. Obviously, he did not succeed otherwise we would not be having this discussion. I sealed him away out of some misplaced sense of pity and bound my power to his prison. Ironically, it was three years after that the Eight so-called Gods you worship turned my own sealing ritual against me. Figures it took eight of the divine beings you revere so much to even try to face me. When they failed to kill me they used the sealing ritual they copied from me to seal me away and even then they managed to mess up on something such a simple ritual."

"Eight Gods? You mean our Six?" the Cardinal of Darkness asked with narrowed eyes.

"Ah, yes. My mistake. There USED to be eight of them. I killed two of them when they tried to seal me."

"Blasphemy! You weren't around before the Six saved humanity! There's no way our gods would make a mistake regarding anything!" the Archbishop cried.

 _I really do enjoy riling people up like this. It's amazing how a few simple lies can crush someone._

"The real names of your "Six Gods" are kept secret, yes? I know all of them. Surshana, Alah Alaf, Arthor, Wasser, Hexel, and Sadao," Lucifer listed off as he smirked at the humans' increasingly pale faces. "Because they failed to complete the ritual correctly, I awoke about five years ago. Unfortunately, because Jaldabaoth's sealing was bound to me, he awoke as well although I was unaware of this at the time. He no doubt has spent the past five years searching for the materials he required to attempt his ritual yet again. My sources indicate that he is currently within the Holy Kingdom and, although I have offered assistance to deal with him, the Holy Kingdom refuses to let anyone within their borders." The other delegates sighed as they knew all too well the isolationist policies of the Holy Kingdom of Roble. "As for you, members of the Slane Theocracy, I would very much like the items your so-called gods stole from me returned. Downfall of Castle and Country, Ahura Mazda, Wrath of God, and Loginus."

"How dare you demand the holy artifacts that our Six Great Gods bestowed upon us and claim that they are yours!?" the Archbishop yelled. "I've never even heard of this "Loginus" anyway!"

"Very well then, don't return them. But you will find that you will not be welcome back here," Lucifer said coldly. He hadn't actually expected them to give them back, but the objectives he sought to complete were satisfied. Seeds of doubt had been planted, his already terrifying power had been made more mysterious and godlike, future conflict with the Theocracy had been prepared, Demiurge's cover was secured, the Theocracy would go on a wild goose chase looking for the magical items that "Jaldabaoth" was searching for, and he was making people think that he really wasn't as heartless as they believed. The emissaries of the Theocracy left in a huff with Ruvik and Mori bringing up the rear. "I propose we end things here for now. If anyone else wishes to discuss something, you can contact me at one of the Eternal Empire's embassies."

* * *

"Do you really think he's been alive for that long?" Arken asked as the Draconic Kingdom's carriage sped back to the Draconic Kingdom.

"It would certainly explain why he's as powerful and intelligent as he is," Draudillon sighed. "The question is: What does he get out of helping us. I get the sense that he cares about humans in some manner, but not like actual people. It's like he sees us as stupid animals that he's trying to raise so that he can tolerate our existence."

* * *

"This is most disturbing. How did he know the names of our gods? Their holy names are kept secret," the Archbishop muttered.

"Do you think he may have been telling the truth, your holiness?" Mori asked with wide eyes.

"Perhaps. However, I believe that those powerful items he requested are capable of hurting him, so all the more reason to hold onto them, hunt down this Loginus, and find the magical artifacts that Jaldabaoth is searching for," the Cardinal of Light declared.

"Indeed. We must deal with the elves and this accursed plague as quickly as possible and begin hunting for these powerful artifacts that both Lucifer Dracul and Jaldabaoth seek," the Archbishop said.

"Where's Corvo?" the Cardinal of Darkness asked.

"He said he found something concerning those metal creatures the Immortal Emperor has walking about. He said he would meet us back at Humanika," Ruvik reported. The Cardinal of Darkness sighed in aggravation.

 _You bring your subordinates to a party as bodyguards and everyone just disappears on you. Whatever Corvo found had better be worth it._

* * *

"That was scary," Climb muttered. Once again, Renner, Brain, Evileye, and himself were in a carriage and were headed back to Re-Estize through a forest.

"You were very brave, Climb," Renner said affectionately. Brain and Evileye just rolled their eyes at the two of them, failing to notice the strange and creepy look in Renner's eyes.

"So, what is your impression of the Immortal Emperor?" Brain asked.

"He doesn't seem to hold a pathological hatred for life, but he also doesn't seem to genuinely care about them," Evileye stated as her mind drifted back to how easily he figured her out as a vampire. "He understands the concepts of good and evil, but finds them irrelevant. He is only concerned with reaching his goals while considering long term consequences. He's rational to the point where you can label him as a sociopath and is so intelligent that I'm not sure I can even begin to comprehend what's going through his mind." Renner furrowed her eyebrows since that description vaguely reminded her of herself.

"I got the sense that he'll do whatever it takes to get what he wants while also making sure people see him as a hero. It's hard to rally humanity against a villain when half of humanity thinks he's a hero," Brain mused. Climb simply agreed to with whatever the others said.

"Still, finding out the truth about Jaldabaoth has given us some answers," Evileye said. "Momon confirmed that Jaldabaoth had been looking for an item when he attacked Re-Estize, so perhaps the item we secured from the Eight Fingers' warehouse was once the Immortal Emperor's?"

"Even if it is, he didn't ask for it," Brain interjected. "Maybe he doesn't know we have it and even if he did know, do you really want to give him a powerful magical item like that?" Before anyone else could respond, something hit the side of their carriage.

"What was that?" Climb muttered asked he peered out the carriage window. His eyes widened as he was met with the sight of several masked men on horseback. Although there was no way of knowing for sure, Climb's gut told him that they were members of the National Liberation Party. The object that had struck the carriage was one of the guards that had accompanied the Royal family. He had been knocked off his horse by a stone fired from a rebel's slingshot. Without wasting any time, Brain and Evileye sprang into action. Evileye used her diminutive size to slip through the carriage's back window and climb onto the roof while Brain bust the other window open and fended off an attacker with his katana. From the roof, Evileye began casting spells to hold the rebels back.

"[Maximize Magic: Shard Buck Shots]!" Evileye exclaimed causing crystal shards to hail down on the enemy. The assailants fell back a few feet and looked like they were about ready to give up when a man in a dark, hooded trenchcoat started jumping from horse to horse until he appeared right in front of Evileye and delivered a jab to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. "[Enhanced Maximize Magic: Crystal Dagger]!" she cried, summoning a weapon to her hand and pointing it at her opponent, who in turn drew some sort of large handle that, with a flick of his wrist, unfolded into a shorter than average sword.

 _What kind of sword folds in half? He must be some kind of assassin._

She made three swift strikes at her assailant, all of which were blocked with infuriating ease. When she tired making an overhead strike with all of her vampiric might, he once again blocked it and retaliated this time by striking her with a hard kick right between her legs causing her jolt upwards before backing away to gain some difference.

 _If I was a boy that would've hurt a LOT more._

It was at this point, the enemy seemed to grow tired of her resistance.

"[Windblast]," came a distorted, mechanical voice. With a wave of his hand which was accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, Evileye was sent flying over the side of the carriage. The only reason she was still technically on the carriage was because she had grabbed onto the roof and was trying to pull herself back up.

 _Shit! He can use magic too? What kind of assassin is this guy? Is he a member of Ijaniya?_

When she looked up at the dark figure's face, she saw why his voice was distorted. He wore a metallic mask that looked like a grinning, deformed skull. An agent of death itself.

"You're in my way," the assassin grunted as he delivered a hard stomp to Evileye's face, shattering her mask and forcing her off of the carriage. "[Dark Vision]," he muttered, allowing him to see through walls and see the people inside the carriage. The target wasn't in this one. Without a moment's hesitation, he jumped onto one of the two horses that were pulling the carriage and severed the restraints that attached them to the carriage, bringing it to a halt as the horses that pulled it were let loose. Directing the one he was riding towards the other carriages he sped towards the one in the middle which held King Rampossa, who he had seen thanks to his [Dark Vision]. Once he got close enough, he pulled out a rope from his belt and used a spell. "[Stop Time]." with the world around him frozen in time, he jumped onto the back of the king's carriage, broke the window, and tied the rope around the unaware king's neck. He then rushed over to a nearby tree and tied the other end of the rope to its trunk. Just as he hopped back onto his horse, time resumed. The king's still moving carriage made the line go taut, and with the king being too big to fit through the small back window, the rope ended up snapping his neck before ripping his head off entirely. He was dead before he even knew what had happened. Raeven, Ritton, and Zanac all stared in shock at the king's headless corpse, barely noticing the assassin and the rebels retreating now that their job was done.

"Those damn commoners!" Zanac exclaimed as tears came to his eyes. He may not have cared for his brother, but while he and the king weren't close, he was still is father.

"We must take immediate action and punish those responsible!" Ritton screeched.

"What are your orders, King Zanac?" Raeven asked sadly. Zanac's eyes widened, realizing what his father's death meant for him.

"Gather the Royalists and the guards when we return to Re-Estize. We will stamp out this rebellion and kill ANYONE who supports them!" Zanac growled.

* * *

Corvo grinned under his mask. This was what he lived for. Sure, spying and carrying out the orders of his creator were satisfying to say the least, but there was nothing like the efficient assassination of a high-ranking official to bring a smile to his face. He was so overjoyed by his return to assassination that his façade as a human almost slipped. He couldn't have anyone realizing that Corvo Attano of the Black Scripture was in fact an undead Vengeful Spirit. Even so, his hair became flickering purple flames for the briefest of moments. Nobody seemed to notice though. This act would take the rebellion of Re-Estize and turn it into a full-blown civil war. The end of the Kingdom was drawing near.


	27. The Dwarf

Chapter 26: The Dwarf

A caravan of undead creatures and monsters trekked through the Azerlisia Mountain Range. Skeleton Dragons flew overhead, acting as air support and searching for any possible hostiles from the sky. The caravan's vanguard were made up of Death Knights, Dark Paladins, Hanzos, and Skull Knights riding on Soul Eaters. The being they were guarding were Vampire Brides, Aura, Shalltear, the lizardman Zenberu, and Lucifer Dracul himself. For almost five hours now they had been riding with Zenberu as their guide to find the Dwarf Kingdom hidden with the Azerlisia Mountain Range. The scenery was breathtaking. Lucifer was enjoying a faint sense of nostalgia, journeying out into the unknown, hunting for a lost city, it reminded him of times with his old friends from Ainz Ooal Gown. Unfortunately, his sense of nostalgia became one of bitterness upon the thought of those traitors.

 _Forget them already. They abandoned you and Nazarick. The NPCs are my army, my responsibility, and my family. Thanks to Albedo, they're my family in more ways than one now._

"Zenberu, how much farther are we from the dwarven city?" Lucifer asked.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but I am unsure!" Zenberu called back. "They are very secluded and the path to their country is one not often traveled! It has been so long that I am uncertain in my ability to direct us accurately!"

"Very well," Lucifer responded, masking his irritation. "We will continue on this route until nightfall, at which point I will attempt my own methods to find it."

* * *

Queen Hope barged into the infirmary, closely followed by Minister Roman, and rushed over to the priest in charge. She grabbed him by the shoulders and, with tears in her eyes, she started shouting.

"Where is she? Where is my sister?" she demanded.

"Y-your holiness, please calm down," the priest pleaded. "Your sister is alright. She has had severe injuries that not even we can heal, but….." Hope didn't let him finish and barged past him and toward her sister. The moment she saw her, Hope let out a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a sob. Her sister's beautiful wings were gone, torn off as if by some wild beast.

"Angela," she breathed as tears flowed down her face.

"Hey," Angela muttered weakly.

"Jaldabaoth will pay for this!" Hope swore.

"He told me to tell you something," Angela groaned. "He said that he would attack the Holy City and slaughter our people. He wants to snuff out every human life in existence." Hope's eyes narrowed at the thought of this demon attacking the Holy City, HER Holy City.

"Roman, inform the guards that we are expecting a demon invasion like the one in Re-Estize," Hope ordered. "Prepare the Holy Relic. It may be our only way of killing this monster."

"Yes your holiness- wait, wait, wait," Roman suddenly interrupted himself. "But your holiness, remember what the Six Great Gods said! If you use that item, you'll die!"

"If it means the annihilation of this demon then so be it!" Hope declared. "Bring me Loginus!" Although Hope was unaware of this, the moment those words left her mouth, the Shadow Demon that was watching her immediately messaged Demiurge. This information must reach the Supreme One.

* * *

"[Create Fortress]!" Lucifer chanted, creating a mighty tower where there had been nothing moments ago. "We shall camp here for the night. The undead shall stand guard outside. Aura, Shalltear, the Vampire Brides, and Zenberu come with me." Now that everyone had their orders, they went where they were directed. Lucifer held the fortress's door open for those who ordered to go in before he activated one of Draculan abilities. "[Lord of the Night]." Once those words left his mouth, the sounds of wolves howling reigned of the entire mountain range, rats scurried out of their holes, and swarms of bats covered the sky. Lucifer held out his hand and, after a few seconds of waiting, a bat came and landed in his open hand.

[What is thy will, my lord?] came a small voice telepathically.

[I desire the location of the dwarven city. Find it for me and I will reward you with transcendence.]

[This humble servant will complete this task with haste, my lord. Is there anything else you require of this humble servant?]

[Spread the news of my coming to all creatures of the night. Their god has arrived.]

[As you decree great one.] having been given its orders, the bat flew off into the night.

"Father, are you coming in?" Shalltear asked from the door Lucifer had left open.

"I'll be with you in a few minutes Shalltear. Go back inside," Lucifer replied dismissively. Shalltear pouted but did as she was told. They always did. Lucifer didn't have to wait long however. The bat came back quickly and flew back into its master's hand.

[My lord, I have uncovered the location of the dwarven city, just as you requested.]

[Good, you have earned your reward.] "[Create Vampire Bride]," Lucifer said calmly as he cast the spell on the bat. The bat slowly began to morph and grow into a humanoid figure. Once its transformation was complete, a woman in a white dress with crimson eyes stood in the bat's place. "Go inside and mark the location on the map," Lucifer ordered.

"Yes my lord," the vampire bride said in a new ladylike voice with a bow before walking inside the fortress. Lucifer glanced around one last time before entering the fortress himself and slamming the doors shut behind him.

* * *

The throne room within the Draconic Kingdom's capitol city of Lux was an absolute mess. Reports, bills, and other documents were scattered about. Queen Draudillon was leaning over a balcony that connected to the throne room and was watching in despair as the Beastmen finally began breaking into her city. On second thought, she wasn't really a queen anymore, she couldn't be a queen without a country to rule over. The Beastmen had finally made broken the Draconic Kingdom, the sacred country founded by the Brightness Dragon Lord himself. The Draconic Kingdom had practically worshipped the dragons for their strength, not that it had gotten them anywhere. Today, the Draconic Kingdom was no more and if the Eternal Empire didn't hurry up there wouldn't be any civilians to save either.

"Your highness," Arken called out as he approached her. "We have received as update from the Eternal Empire. They will be making their landing near the shrine of the Brightness Dragon Lord. Cerebrate and the rest of Crystal Tear are holding back the Beastmen but they won't be able to hold out for long. Cerebrate, as usual, is demanding that he gets to have his way with you once this whole thing is decided."

"That damn pedophile," Draudillon sighed. "What I wouldn't give for him to just die before this is all over. Do you know how many children he has assaulted while evacuating the villages and fighting Beastmen? He disgusts me. I might even kill him myself seeing as I no longer have a country to rule."

"You majesty, surely there is a way to bounce back from this travesty?" Arken asked.

"Are you crazy?" Draudillon cried out exasperatedly. "We are in the worst financial crisis in our country's history. Our economy is practically a worthless I.O.U. at this point, our army has less than 400 soldiers left, and we're about to practically hand our country over to the Immortal Emperor. You think Lucifer is helping us out of the goodness of his heart? No! He knows how weak we are and by having his troops secure the region that no longer has a functional government he will put his own government in place and effectively absorb us into his empire."

"Could you not use Wild Magic to repel them once they've defeated the Beastmen?" Arken offered.

"No," Draudillon sighed. "I'm not sure if there would be enough sacrifices left to use such a spell and attacking soldiers from the Eternal Empire that were sent to help us would just provide the Immortal Emperor with a reason to turn that terrible magic he used at Katze Plains against us. Either way, our country is doomed" Arken sighed and hung his head in defeat. The Immortal Emperor masterfully cornered them. Offer them the solution to a problem they must solve even if they had to give up everything and make the price of his solution be exactly that: everything. Arken raised his head just in time to see numerous dragons begin to descend upon the city near the Shrine of the Brightness Dragon Lord.

"It appears our "saviors" have arrived," Arken commented stiffly.

"We might as well go greet them," Draudillon stated as she and her royal guard made to leave.

The people of the Dragon Kingdom didn't know what to expect when forty dragons began landing in the middle of the capitol. They had heard that their queen had received a pledge of support from the Immortal Emperor, but they definitely hadn't been expecting dragons. What was even more surprising were the Death Knights that dismounted from the dragons after they landed.

"What are those things?"

"Monsters!"

"The Immortal Emperor wants to kill us!"

"Meh."

"I thought we were being evacuated, not invaded!"

"I don't wanna die!"

"Run!"

Every group of eight Death Knights had a Skull Knight leading it, making each team have nine undead creatures in total. Twenty of these teams were marching past the citizens of the Draconic Kingdom without even glancing at them. The people, who had always been told that the undead hated them and would take every opportunity to slaughter them, were confused by the fact that these monsters were ignoring them. Still, the guards and adventurers who were gathered to protect the civilians were not going to simply ignore the undead monsters that were being dropped off.

"Weapons ready! These undead freaks may turn on us at any moment!" a commanding voice called out. A man with messy blonde hair and green eyes equipped in full plate armor bellowed. In his hands were a sword and a shield and he looked every bit the part of a noble knight, which is a shame since his outward appearance masked his inner ugliness. This was Cerebrate, a "hero" in the fight against the Beastmen and also a repulsive pedophile. His entire reasoning for taking part in the war against the Beastmen so that by the time it was over he would be a hero and his "eccentricities would be allowed because he saved the country. However, now that the Draconic Kingdom was no more, he was looking for a way out, preferably with little girls for him along the way. "It's okay!" Draudillon called out as she ran up. "The legions of the Eternal Empire will not harm us! They are here to cover our escape and beat the Beastmen back!" The peasants didn't know what to think so they just chose whichever option was the least likely to kill them. However, they knew they could trust their queen who, despite everything that had happened, did her best to keep her people safe.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice that could be best be described as heroic called out. Everyone turned to see a massive man in impressive black armor standing up on top of one of the dragons. Draudillon instantly recognized this man as the Immortal Emperor's personal bodyguard, Momon. At his side was a woman that made several men standing at attention in more ways than one and he was carrying some furry thing in studded armor over his broad shoulder. "Please proceed onto the dragons in groups of twenty. The dragons will transport you to the Baharuth Annex. The undead and I will cover your escape. Move!" Being enveloped by the aura of a hero, most people looked at him in admiration. Cerebrate, however, did not. He glared at Momon and found himself already hating the Dark Knight.

 _This bastard is trying to hog all the glory for himself. I'm the only hero here, not him, ME! I'll follow him until we've pushed the Beastmen back into their own country and then I'll kill him._

* * *

"You say you've found something, Yvon?" the Cardinal of Fire asked.

"Indeed," the Cardinal of Light smirked with a sense of superiority. "We received an anonymous tip regarding Lucifer Dracul thanks to Windflower Scripture."

"What have we found?" Maximus demanded.

"After looking through all of the Theocracy's records, there was no mention of Lucifer Dracul," the Cardinal of Light began. "However, we received a tip telling us to look for a different name: "Momonga".

"Strange name," the Cardinal of Darkness muttered.

"We still didn't find anything, but then I thought back to what Dracul said at the diet about him knowing our Six Great Gods so I took this from the Shrine of the First Miko," the Cardinal of Light announced as he held up a black and gold book covered in a strange writing.

"That is the Roleplaying Journal of the God of Earth, Lord Hexel!" the Cardinal off Wind gasped.

"You did NOT have permission to move one of the legacies!" Maximus fumed.

"I am aware and I apologize, however the writings of Lord Hexel have given us the fruit of knowledge we so desperately craved," the Cardinal of Light declared.

"What have you found?" the Cardinal of Earth demanded.

"Once again, no mention of the name Lucifer Dracul, but this "Momonga" was in it," the Cardinal of Light announced as he flipped through the pages. "Here he is, Momonga. The passage reads as such: Once again, my comrades and attempted to lay siege to the heart of evil, the Great Tomb of Nazarick. We have allied with many Human and Demi-Human races for this task. Although I found working with some of these creatures to be unsavory, I believed it would be worth it in the end. We all knew that Nazarick's defenses were formidable and the armies of Ainz Ooal Gown to be relentless, but we felt we had prepared accordingly. However, there was one thing we hadn't taken into account. The master of Ainz Ooal Gown's unholy levels of intellect and strategic maneuvering were beyond what we expected. This vampire, a Dracula, the Father of all Vampires, called his forces back into Nazarick to retreat. We thought we were winning so we chased after them. How foolish we were. We knew stepping foot into Nazarick was like stepping foot into hell, but that day we learned the true meaning of hell. We didn't even make it past the 6th Floor. Between the traps, the guerilla warfare style attacks, and Momonga's unholy ability to lead the evil forces of Nazarick we were overrun, outmatched, and out maneuvered. The last sight many of us saw was that floating pink thing, Victim is what I believe it was called. I now understand why Momonga is called the Antichrist of Yggdrasil. We failed to kill him and I can only hope that one day, someone will be able to finish our noble work for humanity. As long as Momonga continues to pollute this world, there will be no peace, freedom, or prosperity for the human race. The Antichrist must die." The cardinals were completely silent when they heard the Cardinal of Light finish reading. They were pale and looked like they were going to be sick.

"So it's true," the Cardinal of Water wheezed out. "He really is an entity that even our gods couldn't kill. Momonga is Lucifer Dracul, all the titles match and even his lair: Nazarick."

"The Father of all Vampires. He was telling the truth at the diet," the Cardinal of Darkness said with a look of despair on his face for the first time. "We should've known when he mentioned Loginus. Very few people know of its existence, but is he aware that it was stolen from us by the Holy Kingdom when they seceded from the Theocracy?"

"Don't you realize what this means?" Maximus interrupted with a mad look in his eye before the pity party could go any further. "It all makes sense now. Humanity being chosen by the gods, the legacies, the holy artifacts and weapons. Don't you see?" The Cardinals shook their heads at the Archbishop, not sure where he was going with this. "We were chosen to take up the mantle of our gods! To finish the noble work they started! They left us all the tools and information we needed to kill this god of evil named Momonga who has now taken up a new unholy name: Lucifer Dracul. Ainz Ooal Gown has returned to plague the world again under the guise of the Eternal Empire and it is our duty as the safeguards of humanity to finish our gods' work! To finish what they started! We will kill the ultimate evil! The original vampire, the Antichrist, the master of the heart of evil known as Nazarick, the ruler Ainz Ooal Gown, Lucifer Dracul!"

* * *

Lucifer and his entourage had finally reached the small cave that his newest Vampire Bride had uncovered for them. It was less of a cave and more like a crack in the rock. Nonetheless, Lucifer couldn't detect any life in the immediate area unless he counted unintelligent insects.

"Hanzos," Lucifer spoke up, making said ninja monsters stand at attention. "Go inside and verify the situation. Preform a cursory inspection focused on the central region and administrative centers. We will investigate the tunnel systems later."

"Yes my lord," the Hanzos said with a bow before sprinting into the tunnels.

"Shalltear, Aura, at my sides," Lucifer ordered. "Vampire Brides, protect Zenberu." After about ten minutes of waiting, the Hanzos returned.

"My lord, we found the dwarven city, but it appears to have been abandoned. There are no signs of life," one of the Hanzos reported. "There were no corpses, no signs of battle, and no household products. It appears they abandoned the city of their own will."

"Yes, but why?" Lucifer muttered to himself. "Lead us to the residential area."

"Yes my lord!" the Hanzos chanted. Lucifer motioned for the Death Knights and Dark Paladins to stay with the caravan and guard against any intruders as Shalltear, Aura, Zenberu, and himself headed inside. Awaiting them was a vast cavern full of what appeared to be two-story buildings but it was unclear whether or not they were because dwarfs were, obviously, smaller than people. Surprisingly, there was no issues as far as being able to see went. Not because of Lucifer's vampiric nature, but because there were crystal-like deposits in the ceiling that glowed, illuminating the cavern. Just like the Hanzos had reported, the city was empty.

"Hanzos, search the tunnels for anything that may provide us with more information," Lucifer commanded. "Shalltear, you and the undead act as our lookouts. Aura and Zenberu, search the city for any clues as to why the dwarves may have left this place." As the group split up to do their jobs, Lucifer cast a spell in an attempt to lure out any hidden enemies. "[Bloody Body Double]," he said as blood seemed to rise up from the floor and take the form of Lucifer himself. [Bloody Body Double] sacrificed a small amount of HP to create a temporary clone of the caster. In this case, since he had only summoned it to lure out any hidden enemies, Lucifer had only sacrificed 1HP to create it so it would be killed instantly by any substantial hit that wouldn't be negated by High-Tier Nullification. Controlling his body double, Lucifer sent it to float above the city to see if anyone would attack it. Unsurprisingly, nobody did. After dispelling the effects, Lucifer sighed and simply waited.

 _This sucks. I hate just waiting around. Shalltear seems much more vigilant than usual. Is it because she's guarding me or because she thinks that this may be her chance to redeem herself for her failure to control her blood frenzy? I'll have to keep an eye on her for the duration of this little adventure. If she proves her worth, I might just give her back her sex toys. Maybe._

"Lord Dracul!" Aura shouted as she ran back to her master. "Zenberu and I found something!"

"Report," Lucifer demanded.

"We found footprints near several buildings that aren't dwarven in nature," Aura informed her emperor.

"It's true," Zenberu added. "These footprints imply that whoever was moving around here was barefoot. Dwarves never go barefoot and generally wear metal-soled boots."

"I see. So the dwarves aren't the only creatures residing in this mountain," Lucifer mused.

 _Come to think of it, that adventurer, what was her name… Ninya! That's it. She mentioned that there were dragons up here in the mountain range. So I should be on the lookout for dragons, dwarves, and whatever the hell these things might be._

[Master] a Hanzo messaged.

[Yes? What is it?]

[We have detected noises coming from one of the tunnels. We believe it to be the sound of someone digging out an ore vein.]

[Send me your location and keep an eye on the digger but do not allow yourselves to be seen. I will see to this personally.]

[Yes my lord.]

* * *

Freddon and the other rebels entered the former estate of Duke Kado within E-Pespel. Since Kado's entire family was killed off there had been no one to inherit the estate and before the nobles could finish arguing over who would take possession of it, the rebellions began. The other rebels were hesitant to let them in because of the undead that followed them but considering the fact that they had gone to get support from the Immortal Emperor they decided to just take things as they come for now and let them in.

"Who are these guys anyway?" one of the rebels asked.

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but members of Zuranon actually support our cause and have been sent by Lucifer Dracul to help us," Freddon said tiredly. "I'm tired as a motherfucker so for now all I want is to report in to the old man and get some shut eye alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sebas is up on the third floor with Marquis Raeven. It sounds like shit is about to hit the fan," the rebel informed Freddon as he opened the doors.

"Great," Freddon grunted as he headed up the stairs. The entire mansion had been modified in order to accommodate the rebels. Windows were boarded up, furniture had been moved in order to make more space, an area for the rebels to unwind was set up in what looked like the old living room, an infirmary had been built in the library, and the old duke's office had been converted into a command center of some sort. Sebas was seated in the office looking over a map of Re-Estize as he waited for Freddon's group. Raeven was with him pointing out certain spaces near the Royal Palace.

"Gramps," Freddon said with a smile. "Good to see you and the others made it out of Re-Estize okay."

"I'm glad to see that you're alright as well," Sebas said as he looked up at the group. "What did the Immortal Emperor have to say?"

"He has pledged unofficial support to our cause. Apparently, they have a few things to take care of before they can join us in eliminating the monarchy. For now, they've sent us these guys from Zuranon," Freddon replied as he gestured towards Zur.

"Good evening. I do not believe we have met. I am Zur, founder of Zuranon. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Zur said with a polite bow. Sebas raised an eyebrow in order to act as if he wasn't not expecting this before shaking his head and looking back at the map.

"Undead or not, I'll take whatever we can get," Sebas said.

"What are you and Raeven up to?" Freddon asked.

"With the death of King Rampossa, Zanac has taken the throne and the nobles are in a state of panic," Sebas reported. "The nobles, led by Count Ritton, have forgone taxes and have started taking everything of value from the people in order to continue to finance their mercenaries. Although this is unfortunate it has also driven many more to join our cause. Zanac, however, is endeavoring to greatly damage our efforts."

"How?" one of the rebels asked.

"As you know, Princess Renner's policies and ideals align with our own morals," Sebas stated. "From what Raeven has uncovered, Zanac seeks to demoralize us and secure his own powerbase by having his sister assassinated."

"What?"

"That bastard!"

"How could he do that to his own sister?"

"She's such a good person. She doesn't deserve that!"

"Meh."

"She's the only member of the Royal Family who ever treated us like actual people!"

"We can't let them get away with this!"

"Isn't killing her a bit too much?"

 _I wonder, if they knew what she was really like, would they still think so highly of her? I might've been fooled by her too if Demiurge and Albedo hadn't informed me of her true nature._

"Thanks to Raeven, we have been able to plan a snatch and grab operation within Re-Estize," Sebas explained. "Having Princess Renner on our side will get even more people to join us in order to protect the Golden Princess and we may even be able to organize an attack on the Royal Palace itself in the coming weeks."

"So what's the plan?" Freddon asked.

"Princess Renner and her bodyguard Climb are planning to visit an orphanage tomorrow evening," Raeven spoke up. "Zanac wishes to make it look like they were attacked and killed by rebels so that he can pin it on the National Liberation Party in an attempt to turn the public against you."

"Damn nobles," someone mumbled.

"We will set out for Re-Estize in two hours. I recommend you get some rest while you can," Sebas advised.

* * *

 _So that's this world's dwarf? Not very impressive._

After turning himself invisible with the spell [Perfect Unknowable], Lucifer had sent Aura forward to open initial talks with the dwarf since, as an undead, Lucifer would most likely scare the hell out of him. Of course Aura, being a child, couldn't help but to screw around a bit. Aura got right behind the poor dwarf and breathed in deeply.

"HI!" Aura said loudly.

"DAMMIT!" the dwarf cursed as he spun around to look at the giggling Aura. "You're a Dark Elf right? What are you doing here? I thought most Dark Elves lived near the Holy Kingdom."

"I came to find the dwarven city but it was an empty shell," Aura shrugged. "I'm Aura Bella Fiora from the Eternal Empire of the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul."

"Eternal Empire? Immortal Emperor? Is that a new Dark Elf country?" the dwarf asked as he raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "Sorry. My name is Gondo Firebeard of the Dwarven Kingdom. Nice to meet you," he introduced himself as he and Aura shook hands.

"Nice to meet you Gondo. But weren't there dwarves living here about five years ago?" Aura asked. "A Lizardman who visited you told me."

"Yeah, but about three years ago we all moved deeper into the mountain," Gondo responded. "Did this Lizardman have an incredibly thick arm?"

"That's him!" Aura replied with a thumbs up.

"I see. I'm going to take a guess here and assume you want me to lead you to our new city Feoh Ger, right?" Gondo guessed. "Still, who sends a child down here into the tunnels alone? That's just irresponsible."

"Oh, I'm not alone and I'm not defenseless either," Aura grinned. Gondo raised an eyebrow at her before shrugging as if to say "if you say so". "Why did you guys evacuate this place anyway?"

"We sighted some Quogoa near the city so we decided to temporarily abandon Feoh Raido."

"What's a Quogoa?"

"They're underground dwelling jerks who will try to kill dwarves on sight."

"Oh. I think we found traces of them in your city."

"The Quogoa have turned it into a nest?" Gondo asked with his eyes wide.

"No, they just sent some scouts by the looks of the place."

"Oh, well that's a relief," Gondo sighed. "We fully intend to take it back once our armies are ready to beat back the Quogoa."

"Then I believe that's my cue to introduce myself," Lucifer said in his typical cold voice as he dispelled [Perfect Unknowable]. When Gondo saw Lucifer seemingly appear out of thin air, there was only one thing he could do: scream.

"IT'S A MONSTER! A VAMPIRE!" Gondo yelled in a panic as he started to run away. "HIDE!"

"[Vampiric Grip]," Lucifer sighed causing Gondo to be dragged back over to him. "Fear not Gondo. I am…"

"How do you know my name!? Did you use magic!?" Gondo cried as Lucifer released him from his spell. Although he was free, Gondo was too afraid to move.

"Incorrect. I merely overheard your conversation," Lucifer said as he summoned up his false charm and pleasantry. "I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul of the Eternal Empire."

"The- the Eternal Empire? Is the Eternal Empire not a nation of Dark Elves?" Gondo asked with wide eyes.

"No. It is a country of many races that all acknowledge me as their absolute ruler," Lucifer corrected.

"But- you're a vampire. An undead. Don't you hate the living?"

"Hey, it's just like Lord Dracul said," Aura interrupted. "I'm a Dark Elf and the story about the Lizardman is true too. Like I said before, I didn't come alone. Lord Dracul has been with us this entire time." Gondo took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before looking back at Lucifer.

"Could it be that you were once a human who was turned into a vampire and thus somehow managed to retain your humanity?" Gondo asked.

"No. I was the first vampire to ever exist," Lucifer lied and nearly grimaced since Gondo's guess hit a little too close to home. "There is no need to be afraid of me Gondo. Humans, dwarves, elves, all have good and bad members of their species. Similarly, there are undead who hate the living and undead who do not. Although I won't claim to have any great love for the living, I do desire to remain on good terms with them."

"The first vampire huh? Still, the thought of a relatively friendly undead is about as unthinkable as a compassionate demon."

"Really? I once knew an angel who fell into darkness and a demon who aspired to do what's right," Lucifer smirked. The angel he was referring to was from that stupid fictional story called the Bible and the demon was from Yggdrasil named Mephistopheles who was basically a hard-shelled softy.

"Really? To think such things existed," Gondo muttered as pulled himself back onto his feet, apparently having calmed down.

"I understand your caution, but I have no intention of harming you. In fact, I came here with the intention of forming an alliance with your country," Lucifer said pleasantly, masking his inner grimace. Conquering the dwarves would be unwise since they knew these mountains better than anyone other than the Quogoa, who held very little interest to him. The best course of action would be to become allies with them and slowly, as time passed, take control of the country's leadership and begin dissolving their nation bit by bit into his own with extreme subtlety.

"Well, I guess it's alright by me," Gondo sighed. "I can take you to our current capitol."

"Wonderful, and if I might ask, what can you tell me about runic characters and the craft related to them?" Lucifer asked, simply making conversation as his mid drifted back to that sword that weird man from Baharuth had shown him.

"What do you wanna know?" Gondo asked as he narrowed eyes for a few moments before they suddenly widened as if he had an epiphany. "You said you were the first vampire right? That means you've been around a very long time. Ageless. Eternal. Lost knowledge."

 _Okay, what the fuck is going on here? Did the dwarf I met just so happen to be some kind of maniac with a sob story?_

"The runes I know of are 50 lesser runes, 25 middle runes, 10 upper runes, and 5 top runes," Gondo supplied excitedly. "Unfortunately, many runes have been lost through the passage of time and there are very few left."

"I see. Although the runes I know of may differ, they look like this," Lucifer said as he traced a rune from memory into the ground. "Does this one look familiar?"

"Ah, this is one of the middle runes: Lagu," Gondo grinned.

 _So they have runes that match the ones from Yggdrasil._

"I see. If you would please tell me what you know," Lucifer inquired, trying to discern any secrets that may tell him about other players' involvement in this world. "About 100 years ago, dwarves exported rune-carved magical weapons to the Baharuth Empire. However, the weapons suddenly stopped coming. Why?"

"Well," Gondo scowled. "This may take a bit of explaining. Let's talk while we walk." Lucifer gave magnanimous nod in response and followed Gondo. "First of all, my friends call me the rune developer. Dwarven magical items have always been made with runes, but about 200 years ago we were attacked by the Demon Gods. A lot of tech flowed in from the outside when some of our heroes left to join the fight and runecraft became outdated. People started becoming mages so they could just enchant a weapon in order to mass produce magical weapons. But it's foolish! Runecraft still has its merits. For example: you don't have to spend any money on it!" Gondo didn't notice, but up until now Lucifer had only been half-assed paying attention. "A standard enchantment cost a lot of reagents and supplies but rune empowered items have almost no material cost!" Lucifer's eyes practically became dollar signs and his face twisted into an evil grin when he heard that. This could be exactly what he needed to upgrade Nazarick's forces cheaply on a massive scale.

"Fascinating," Lucifer said smoothly as his face returned to its usual cold smile and soulless eyes. "Are there any other flaws?"

"A few. Mostly they're just hard to produce," Gondo replied, happy to be able to discuss his passion. "They take a while to make and there aren't a lot of people who are suited to become runesmiths. There's more people suitable who are suitable to become magic casters according to the Baharuth Empire."

"What sort of runecraft are you developing?" Lucifer asked.

"Why are you so interested in runecraft?" Gondo answered with a question as he narrowed his eyes.

"I've lived a long time, Gondo. I have come to understand that knowledge is power," Lucifer answered, being honest but not telling the whole truth. "You never know what sort of information may prove useful in the future."

"I'm trying to reduce the time it takes to create a rune as well as find a way to mass produce them, but that is only a means to an end," Gondo said solemnly. "My true goals is to make runes essential and enable them to stand the test of time."

"That's an ambitious goal. I respect that," Lucifer said honestly. "How have you been progressing?"

"There hasn't been any progress," Gondo frowned. "I don't qualify as a runesmith. I don't have the necessary talents. I can carve runes but takes me way too long."

"Do all dwarves share this goal of yours?" Lucifer asked.

"No, just me," Gondo sighed. "Everyone else has given up and spends their time drinking and cursing about how runecraft is going to die with our generation."

 _Normally I wouldn't care, but I want my free upgraded army goddammit! Lucifer Dracul gets what Lucifer Dracul wants! Fuck, I'm starting to sound like some sort of narcissistic villain. Still, abandoned arts can be developed dirt cheap and an investment that works out in the end could provide extraordinary benefits. I wonder…._

"Let me ask you something Gondo, what basis do you have that the techniques you speak of can be developed?" Lucifer inquired. "It sounds to me that these are empty fantasies."

"No!" Gondo cried. "My father and grandfather served the last royal, the Runesmith King! I've read the notes they left behind and I know it's possible! My father confirmed it on his sickbed!" Luicfer internally smirked. Borderline fanatical dedication to a cause that he could benefit from. If he was supplied with those who were actually skilled in the art.

"I have a proposition for you Gondo," Lucifer announced. "I do not believe in fate, but I think our encounter could be a tremendous stroke of luck for the both of us. Allow the Eternal Empire to provide financial support for your endeavors." Gondo spun around and stared at Lucifer, jaw gaping. "Because you aren't an actual runesmith, I think it would be prudent to recruit the runesmiths of your nation to this endeavor and bring them to the Eternal Empire. They will begin developing new runecraft techniques under your direction. Do you think it would be doable to recruit them?"

"Ye-yes!" Gondo grinned. "Although they have given up for the most part, they would jump at the chance to shine again!"

"Excellent," Lucifer smirked. "But you should know, you may be considered a traitor for assisting me in this endeavor. How far are you willing to go for me? Will you help me? Will you lie for me? Will you give your soul to me? Are you fine with me being an undead?"

"Pssh. I don't need my soul for runecraft! If you want it, take it," Gondo shrugged. "As for the undead bit, I don't care if you're undead, a dragon, or a demon god. If you can make my dream come true I'm with ya!"

"I like your attitude Gondo," Lucifer said with a genuine laugh. "I think we're going to get along just fine."

* * *

The groups that resided just outside the Holy Kingdom of Roble in Aberion Hills were usually at war with each other or trying to tear down the Holy Kingdom's wall. The fact that they were gathered here and weren't killing each other spoke something about what was going on, even if they themselves weren't too sure. Gathered in this clearing and eyeing each other suspiciously were three nations, if you could call them that. Of the Orc Settlement was Battlemaster Urk. He wore rough armor iron armor decorated with bones, had a thick gray beard, and a helmet that had decorative antlers. Out of all the orcs, ogres, and goblins that resided in his settlements he was the strongest and the biggest, that's why he was their leader. From the Dark Dwarf Slavers was Chief Khavrok, who had a large black beard, like a Dark Dwarves, and a helmet that gave him the appearance of having devil horns. His narrow eyes darted around looking for anything of value or anyone who might make a good slave. He was greed personified. Finally, of the Dark Elf Country, was King Vega Connard. He had heterochromatic eyes, just like his father, the Elf King Augustus Connard. He was a scarred man, a warrior. He wore armor that he had painted black and purple and wielded a club called the World Savior, which he had stolen from a Black Scripture member he had killed years ago. His shoulder length hair was silver and his left cheek seemed to have come off from a brutal wound, making him look like he was always grimacing and gnashing his teeth. His father had "convinced" the former queen of the Dark Elves to spend the night at his fortress. When she returned to her country, she had a baby Vega in her arms. They were all gathered on what they had agreed was neutral ground and waited for whoever had called the meeting.

"Does anyone know when this thing is starting?" Kharvok growled.

"How should I know?" Vega grunted.

"I RIP TWO!" Urk shouted.

"Now, now gentlemen. It is not so much that I am late that you are early," a sinister voice called out. They turned their heads to see a demon wearing a mask calmly walking towards them. He wore a black suit and had a cape that seemed to be made from the feathers of an angel.

"Who the hell are you?" Kharvok demanded.

"I am known as Jaldabaoth. I'm here to give you the offer of a lifetime," the demon sneered with a mocking bow.

"Yeah? And what's that?" Vega asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going to lead you into the Holy Kingdom and let you do whatever you want to the idiotic humans that inhabit Roble," Jaldabaoth informed them. "I am going to destroy the wall, you will swarm their country, and you will obey me if you want in on this."

"URK NO TAKE ORDERS FROM TINY MAN! NAME LONG! COWARD!" Urk jeered.

"I believe in your culture, whoever is the strongest is in charge, correct?" Jaldabaoth asked.

"YES! URK IS MIGHTIEST-" Urk didn't get to finish because quicker than anybody could see, Jaldabaoth rushed over to him and literally pulled his head off, dragging the stupid brute's spinal cord out with it.

"I believe you all serve me now," Jaldabaoth stated calmly to Urk's tribes as if he hadn't just committed murder. The goblins, ogres, and orcs may be stupid but they understood strength so they bowed immediately. "As for the rest of, there will be countless humans running about for you to enslave and riches to plunder." Kharvok grinned evilly.

"I'm in!" he bellowed.

"As long as there are worthy opponents to kill," Vega declared as he thought about killing his father and uniting the Dark Elves and the Elves before turning them ALL against the Slane Theocracy. How he dreamed of a world without humans.

"Good," Jaldabaoth said while he smirked under his mask.

* * *

The soldiers who had remained in the Draconic Kingdom stared with their eyes wide as they watched Momon mow down every Beastman that got near him. They had spent the past six hours fighting through the streets of Lux, trying evacuate civilians and push the enemy back. Momon had kept a steady pace the entire time. He never paused, never slowed down, and never stopped swing those massive blades of his. Nobody else had actually managed to kill anything because none of them ever made it past the Dark Knight.

"I can't believe this guy!"

"Is he a Godkin?"

"That guy is a badass!"

"I thought all those things they said about him were exaggerated rumors."

"Meh."

"Look at him go!"

"I think he might be invincible."

"I didn't think there was anyone more powerful than Cerebrate."

"This is crazy."

"Go Momon!"

Cerebrate growled as he glared at Momon from behind. He and that Nabe woman had done all the killing ever since they arrived. Cerebrate had tried splitting up from the group five times and every time he did, he either found Nabe frying Beastmen with [Chain Lightning], Momon shredding Beastmen, or some weird furry thing in armor slicing and dicing them with its tail. This team, Darkness, was absolutely nuts. They were also stealing all of Cerebrate's glory. How was he supposed to get that queen in his bed if he couldn't outshine Momon? There was no way he could kill him if they dueled, Cerebrate wasn't stupid. They were planning to push the Beastmen all the way back into their own country and force their surrender, so Cerebrate would bide his time and kill Momon in his sleep when they were far away from civilization, deep in the Beastmen Country. What he didn't know was what was going through Momon's head. He also wouldn't have understood it since he was thinking in German.

 _Mein Gott. How much longer do these idioten intend to keep fighting? The Unsterblicher Kaiser was quite clear. Kill the Beastmen in the Draconic Kingdom, force the Beastmen to negotiate, and then head norden into the Troll Kingdom and force them to attack the City State Alliance. I hope once we're done here I can see that_ _niedlich vampire Evileye. We will have so much fun putting on that schauspiel in the Holy Kingdom. Mein lord is a strategisches genie to have had this planned. Too bad about the menschen we bring with us, they will all have to sterben._

After another five minutes of meaningless hack and slash, Momon's group, Nabe's group, and Hamsuke congregated in the residential area of Lux.

"It appears we have cleared out more than half the city," Momon stated.

"Yes, the cockroaches are scuttling away. They know they have taken too many losses," Nabe commented with her usual scowl.

"Pursue them we shall master!" Hamsuke declared, eyes full of determination as Momon and Nabe mounted him.

"If you a prepared to continue the pursuit, then let out a shout," Momon ordered. Every soldier raised their weapons and let out a war cry, even Cerbrate's team did besides Cerebrate himself, who was glaring at Momon. "Very well then, if we hurry we might interrupt their forward command before they start feasting on even more human lives!"

* * *

 **I would've had more up and earlier but shit happened with my computer's charging cord. It sucked.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	28. Jaldabaoth Returns

Chapter 27: Jaldabaoth Returns

Lucifer Dracul tapped his foot impatiently as he waited. After interrogating some Quagoa that Shalltear had caught, the group had hastily made their way to the new dwarven capitol of Feo Jera. He had already told the dwarves who were guarding the entrance Feo Jera why he was here but they were extremely suspicious of him and were demanding that he repeat himself.

 _You'd think that they've never seen a vampire before._

"Could you say that again undead?" a dwarf asked fearfully.

"I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul of the Eternal Empire and I have come to form an alliance with the dwarven nation," Lucifer repeated, masking his annoyance. "We will not attack you if you do not attack us, so please lower your weapons and let us through before I decided to tear your pathetic gate apart. After my subordinates captured several Quagoa, we interrogated them and learned of an impending attack on your city. If you are not confident in your ability to repel this attack then my nation will gladly provide assistance."

"What about that dwarf next to you? Is he a hostage!?" the dwarf demanded, still afraid.

"How rude. I am an emperor. Is that really the appropriate ton to take with foreign dignitaries, especially the ruler of another country?" Lucifer smirked. The dwarves looked uneasy at this point.

"Prove it! Show us you're really a king!" another dwarf shouted.

"Then allow me to introduce Gondo Firebeard," Lucifer said as he waved Gondo forward in a kingly manner. "Gondo, would you kindly inform your colleagues about the situation?"

"I'm on it," Gondo replied with a nod.

"Gondo! Can you verify that it really is you?" yet another dwarf asked.

"Jorgan! Let me the hell in or I'll tell your wife who you've been sleeping around with!" Gondo shouted resulting in a dwarf's face going pale.

 _Oh shiiiiiiiiiiit._

"So, can you accept that this is the real Gondo?" Lucifer called out. "All we sought to do was inform you that the Quagoa are circling around the Great Rift to attack your city. All you have to do is inform your superiors of the situation." A few of the dwarves grimaced as they heard how much sense this undead creature made. It was unnatural.

"Hang on a minute Gondo! We're getting the Commander in Chief! Please don't tell my wife!" a dwarf called out. Lucifer let out a sinister chuckle when he heard that. The dwarves who heard said chuckle turned pale and glanced at him fearfully.

 _Finally, some progress._

After a few minutes the gates finally opened, allowing the emissaries of the Eternal Empire inside. The first things Lucifer noticed as he walked in were the wide-eyed expressions on the dwarves' faces and the smell of fear.

"Good evening, I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul," Lucifer opened up, deciding to skip the bullshit. "Are you gentlemen in charge of greeting me?"

"Ah- yes. I am the Commander in Chief of the Dwarven Armed Forces," one of them spoke up.

"Wonderful. You wouldn't happen to have any problems with the Quagoa at the moment would you?" The Commander in Chief's eyes narrowed in response.

"So you already know why I came down here?"

 _If that's his reaction, then the Quagoa have probably already begun their attack. Since this man who should be commanding from the front lines is here, then it must be a stalemate._

"Obviously," Lucifer responded with a magnanimous nod of his head.

"I see. Well, as you probably know, we've halted the Quagoa advance for now but it's only a matter of time before they break through."

"And?"

"Before I go on, my men said that you obtained your information after questioning some Quagoa you captured in Feoh Raido. Do you have any evidence to support this?"

"One of your citizens, a dwarf named Gondo-"

"Material evidence?"

"Would you like to see the captured Quagoa? I can bring forth several of them and you can ask them yourself," Lucifer replied, masking his inner annoyance at being interrupted. "Would that be sufficient?" The Commander in Chief let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head before he continued.

"At this rate, it appears the Quagoa are going to overrun the entire city."

"Commander!" a dwarf soldier cried. "You can't just say things like that! Especially to an undead!"

"It doesn't matter!" the Commander in Chief barked. "His majesty already knows everything. Our troops who don't have any hope of reinforcements are already trying to figure out a way to slip away before this turns into a bloodbath."

"Perhaps I can offer assistance," Lucifer offered, knowing a good opportunity when he saw one. "My forces can beat the Quagoa back with ease. What do you say? Will you take me up on my offer?" The Commander in Chief stared at him as he had just said that the sun was a giant dancing bear.

"But-"

"It would be quite annoying for me to come all the way down here with the intention of forging diplomatic relations only for your country to be destroyed," Lucifer interrupted. "Will you accept the help of the Eternal Empire or should I just watch your country die and make ties with the Quagoa?"

"But we don't have approval from the council. I can't just-" the Commander in Chief began, trying to make an excuse.

"If there is enough time for you to go and get their approval, I have no issue with this," Lucifer said coldly. "I am merely offering assistance. The final decision on whether or not my assistance is accepted is yours. Of course your council should settle important matters, but you know how those things go. They argue like self-concerned fools day in and day out and in the end no one can come to a conclusion. It would be a shame for my journey here to be a waste, but perhaps the Quagoa might make better allies." The Commander in Chief turned paler and paler as Lucifer kept talking.

"Your majesty, are you certain that you will be able to repel the Quagoa?" he asked.

"It would be child's play," Lucifer smirked. "Of course, if they manage to get into the city it would be a mess. Who knows how many civilians would get caught in such a chaotic melee? It would be such an unfortunate catastrophe that could've been avoided." The Commander in Chief looked like he had tasted something bitter and slowly looked up into Lucifer's soulless red eyes. "How long do you have Commander in Chief? Weeks? Days? Hours? Minutes?"

"I understand," the Commander in Chief sighed. "Your majesty, I pray that you will lend us your country's strength."

"But sir!" one of the dwarves shouted earning a glare from the Commander in Chief, who walked over to the group of dwarves and started discussing the situation with them. Lucifer ws barely paying attention to them but he could still make out bits and pieces of what they were saying.

"This is bad."

"-Quagoa-"

"but the undead-"

"still"

"Eternal Empire?"

"Vampire"

"No! We need to think of the future! Who knows what the repercussions of making a deal with an undead creature will be?"

"I suggest you make a decision quickly," Lucifer said coldly, making sure they could hear him. "After all, if you don't make a deal with me soon, you might not have a future at all."

* * *

Night had descended upon the Draconic Kingdom. In the abandoned city of Prosk, lit by the burning buildings and the massive bonfire in the town square, the beastmen were preparing for another feast. Two of them, an Apeman and a Boarman, were dragging the next batch of unlucky humans who were going to be their meal. Men and women, young and old, it didn't matter to the beastmen. All that mattered was how they would taste. By this point, the humans had learned that those who were dragged out of their cages don't come back, so they were kicking, screaming, and struggling to try to get away, all in vain unfortunately since there was nothing they could do against the creatures.

"Puny humans," the Boarman laughed, ignoring the struggling humans he was dragging. "They can never accept their fate even when it's right before their eyes."

"Yeah," the Apeman nodded. "I almost feel sorry for them. Being so weak that they're not good enough to be anything but food. I'm glad Archon took control after those Soul Eaters destroyed the capitol."

"Yeah, it was a pretty simple plan right?" the Boarman chuckled. "We're making history for the Beastman Country and I'm excited to be a part of this. What about you Grod? Grod?" the Boarman turned around when his comrade didn't respond to see him collapsed on the ground with head tuned 360 degrees. Someone had snapped his neck. The humans were gone. Before the Boarman could even think to raise an alarm, something metal tapped his shoulder. He spun back around and came face to face with a tall man in dark armor. Before he could even sniff the air to tell if this man was a human, those metal hands gripped his head and snapped his neck.

"Who-who are you?" one of the captive humans asked fearfully.

"I am Momon," the Dark Knight responded as he walked deeper into the devastated city. "Head back to the cages, my comrades are helping your fellow captives escape. My team and I will proceed ahead and eliminate the other beastmen." Momon looked up towards the rooftops of one of the ruined buildings to see Hamsuke scuttling onward with Nabe on his back. Cerebrate's team cut through the alleyways to get to the center undetected. As for Momon, Momon didn't need a team since he was essentially a one man army. He strode forward towards the enemy seemingly without a care in the world. When he finally came into the town center, the first things he noticed were the barbaric remains scattered about. The human bones that had remained uneaten were scattered about and some had even been used as decorations. Skeletons that still had small chunks of meat stuck to them were hung from flagpoles, there was a mountain of discarded bones much like what humans did with the bones from chicken wings, and in the center of the clearing was a massive table made out of countless other tables covered in body parts. All of the beastmen who had been waiting for the arrival of their next meals turned their head to stare at the new arrival. Most of them were wearing leathers, furs, loincloths, ornamental headpieces, and a few of them were wearing miscellaneous bits of armor they had taken from fallen humans. If one was to compare their style of clothing to a civilization on Earth, it would be easy to compare their clothing to that of Native Americans. Their weapons mostly consisted of stone weapons, clubs, bow and arrows, and a few had maces, swords, and other metal weapons taken from humans but for the majority their level of technology was relatively primitive and their culture seemed to be tribal instead of an actual single government.

"What's this human doing here?"

"That's a big human!"

"He don't smell like no human."

"Meh."

"Who let you out of your cage?"

"We were waiting for our next meal, but it looks like our meal came to us."

"I heard the really strong ones are too chewy."

"Nah, but they have a helluva lot more meat on their bones."

"I don't suppose I can convince any of you to lay down your weapons, can I?" Momon asked. The beastmen brandished their weapons in response. "I didn't think so." Before anyone could react, Momon had jumped onto the table with both of his swords drawn and started running towards the front of the table while hacking and slashing at any opponents he passed. A few of the beastmen made to jump onto the table, but they were stopped after being struck by lightning spells coming from the rooftops, courtesy of Nabe. Taking a position in the middle of the table, Momon lured the beastmen to come up after him. Eventually, every remaining beastman was up on the table with Momon viciously trying to overcome the Dark Knight. Beastmen were naturally stronger than humans and they felt secure in this superiority. According to the Adventurer's Guild's ratings model, if the average human was rated to be 3 then the average beastman was rated to be 30. However, because they were naturally strong most of them felt that they didn't need to hone their skills. If there was a horde of beastmen clashing with regular human soldiers then they would win hands down, but if they clashed with a being such as Momon it would be like throwing themselves into a meat grinder. Despite the fact that couldn't land a single hit on Momon throughout the entire fight, he had done a backflip to get off the table and away from them, giving them the high ground.

"Cowardly human!" a beastman with wolf ears barked. "Trying to get away from us?"

"On the contrary, I thought it was time we ended this," Momon calmly informed them. "Now Nabe!" On cue, Nabe launched a [Fireball] spell at the group a beastmen on the table. The exploding ball of fire killed many that were in its blast radius and set the table on fire. Some of the beastmen were unable to avoid the flames and their fur caught fire, eventually burning them into crispy corpses. The surviving beastmen knew that the odds weren't in the favor and attempted to flee, only to be blocked by a large fur roadblock known as Hamsuke. Only one beastman, the one with the wolf ears, managed to escape by running into a nearby building and heading upstairs with the intention of jumping out one of the widows to run away across the rooftops. Unfortunately for him, the moment he leaped towards a nearby roof he was intercepted by Momon, who grabbed him by the leg, dragged him across the other rooftops, and hung him over a ledge.

"Get away from me!" the wolfman yelled as he struggled in vain against Momon's grip.

"Only if you answer my questions," Momon stated coldly. "The attack on the Draconic Kingdom this time was different from usual. Usually, you attack, steal some humans for food, and retreat back into your own country. You treated the Draconic Kingdom as a self-replenishing source of food but this time you sought to wipe them out. Why?"

"Th-the undead! The Soul Eaters!" the wolfman exclaimed. "A couple years ago three Soul Eaters showed up in our capitol! They turned our city into a spawning ground for the undead and we have no way to retake it, not with those three monsters still walking around what's left of it! The Patriarch, Kandroth, was killed in the attack and our new leader, Patriarch Archon, took control. The Draconic Kingdom is the perfect spot for us to establish the new heart of our country! There are plenty of humans nearby for us to feast upon, a natural barrier of mountains, and a land of the dead between us and the Slane Theocracy. There's no way you'll be able to stop Archon! No matter how strong you are, you're just one human."

"Dummkopf," Momon muttered under his breath as he released his grip and let the wolfman fall screaming to the streets. "Mein Unsterblicher Kaiser will be pleased by this information."

* * *

Princess Renner and Climb had just spent another day at the orphanage with a few members of Blue Rose. Evileye and Tina were accompanying them. They had been out later than usual because it took a painstakingly long time to get anywhere now that the streets weren't nearly as safe as they used to. After King Rampossa's death, the Royalists and the mercenaries Count Ritton had hired had increased patrols through Re-Estize in a constant search for any activity from the National Liberation Party. The mercenaries, of course, interpreted this as permission to rob anyone they felt thought looked "suspicious".People didn't go out after dark anymore and tried not to leave their homes at all. Re-Estize had essentially become a ghost town, the fog and gloomy weather only added to that effect. Renner was especially nervous. Over the past week, there had been reports of a man in a skull mask killing off her sisters, the other princesses. Now it was just her and Zanac which only made her more wary. Zanac was seeking to solidify his power and he saw Renner as a threat. He wasn't wrong, the National Liberation Party had declared that they wanted to put Renner in charge so by depriving them of their figurehead Zanac was hoping to discourage them.

"Are you ready Princess?" Climb asked as he saw the worried look on Renner's face as she stared at the orphanage exit. Tina just stared at the two of them silently but could understand. Something as simple as going outside was dangerous nowadays, especially for people like Renner.

"Yes, let's go," Renner said after taking a deep breath. They walked through the doors and towards the carriage. They hadn't taken five steps when they heard someone cast a spell.

"[Fireball]!" a man yelled from a rooftop. The resulting fireball collided with the carriage and enveloped it in magical flames.

"Get down! [Crystal Lance]!" Evileye shouted, launching an ethereal blue spike at the would-be assassin and stabbing him through the chest. He fell off the roof and hit the ground a few yards away from them. Tina was about to go investigate the body when three carriages pulled up and numerous figures in black suits one would associate with a ninja and wearing white masks with sinister grins painted on them emerged from the carriages wielding all sorts of weapons.

"Izaniya hit squad. Not even real assassins," Tina growled as she dug a smoke pellet out of her pocket. "Follow me!" She threw the smoke pellet onto ground causing it to explode, creating a thick cloud of smoke that hid them from view. With the thugs distracted, Tina led the group through a maze of narrow alleyways in an attempt to escape. Renner kept up a worried face but was mentally scowling.

 _You're smarter than I gave you credit for brother. Instead of using the palace guards or mercenaries to kill me you employed Izaniya so that, even if suspicion does fall on you, nobody would be able to prove anything. You could probably just blame the whole thing on Count Ritton if you played your cards right. No, I actually AM giving you too much credit. You could never come up with something like this on your own. Someone recommended this action to you. But who?_

* * *

Inside his manor, Raeven suddenly awoke, sat up in his bed, and glanced around. For some reason, he felt like he was about to be responsible for something horrible. Upon looking down at his sleeping wife and his snoring son, who had asked if he could sleep with his parents tonight, he smiled and decided that everything would be alright for now.

"I hope Lord Dracul's plan works," he sighed as he went back to sleep.

* * *

Although nobody but Tina saw it, a knife had emerged from one of the narrow alleys towards Renner. Tina immediately spun around delivered a swift kick to the dull side of the blade, knocking it off balance and causing it to miss its target. In retaliation, whoever had thrown the knife sprinted out of the alley towards Tina. It was a slender female wielding two vicious-looking daggers and wearing the uniform as the others, but her mask was black and had no face.

"Keep running!" Tina shouted as she engaged the enemy. Her opponent wasn't some random thug like the ones that had been deployed from the carriages, this was a REAL assassin. No unnecessary movements, swift, brutal strikes, and agility that rivaled Tina's own. Tina's eyes widened as she realized who it was she was fighting and her resolve weakened, if only for a moment. "Sister-" was all Tina managed to say before the assassin managed to stab her through the chest.

"Traitor," a voice that sounded extremely similar to Tina and Tia spat from behind her mask. She pushed Tina off her dagger and to the ground, leaving her corpse to rot.

"Madam Tian," a thug spoke up from a group of four that had just arrived. "We have lost visual of the target. What should we do with this body?"

"It doesn't matter," Tian responded coldly. "She's not our target. Rape the corpse, hide it in a gutter, put it on display, I don't care. But I should remind you that every minute we spend here gives the target more time to slip away and if Princess Renner DOES escape us I will kill whichever one of you failures I deem responsible." The thugs nodded and split up down the several alleyways. Once she was sure that they were gone, Tian lifted her sister's body and set it up so once the rest of Blue Rose inevitably came looking for her, they would find the body without much trouble. Was she angry with Tina and Tia for leaving her and Izaniya to join a couple of idiotic idealistic adamantite ranked adventurers? Definitely. Did she hate them to point that she wanted them dead? No. She was coldhearted but she cared deeply for her twin sisters. The only reason she had killed Tina was because she knew that her goody-two-shoes leader, Lakyus, would use her magic to revive her. The mission always came first, but nobody fucked with Tian or her sisters.

Nobody.

* * *

Climb cut down another thug that rushed them with a mace as he panted heavily. He would never claim to be as skilled as Brain, but he had trained long and hard so he was stronger than the average foot soldier. Not by much, but enough to make a difference. Still, he wasn't confident that he would be able to take down the other twelve thugs that has surrounded him and Renner.

"Bring it on you assassin wannabe bastards!" Evileye roared as she unleashed spell after spell on the enemy.

Evileye, unlike Climb, could handle this.

"Shit, that's Evileye!"

"The crazy-ass magic caster!"

"Meh."

"She survived the Demonic Disturbance AND Jaldabaoth himself."

"I heard she and Momon are a thing. But doesn't he have that other chick: Nabe? She's waaaaay hotter."

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY!?" an embarrassed Evileye screeched. That last comment pissed Evileye off and the man who had uttered that comment found himself dissolving thanks to one of her [Acid Javelin]s. Just as she was about to go to work on the thugs who were ready to pounce on Climb when a foot, A GODDAMN FOOT, carved through their attackers like they were butter.

"How uncivilized," a voice that Climb would never forget muttered.

"Sebas!?" Climb exclaimed. Before the group stood Sebas, dressed in his usual butler's attire, and accompanied by several rebels from the National Liberation Party. Evileye could only stare as she recognized the name that Climb had shouted. This was the man who he believed was on par with Momon.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Sir Climb," Sebas said in greeting as he shook someone's guts off his shoe. "I would love to catch up but we appear to be in a dire situation. I recommend we make our escape with haste. We have a carriage nearby that will take us to E-Pespel."

"Hold on!" Evileye exclaimed. "How do we know you're not leading us into a trap? I think it's pretty suspicious that you just so happened to show up here!" Climb cringed as he heard Evileye criticize his idol, but Sebas merely raised an eyebrow.

"A fair point," Sebas stated calmly. "I received my information from Marquis Raeven, who has been secretly providing financial support for our cause. He said that King Zanac had sent assassins after Princess Renner, but these brutes hardly qualify as assassins." Evileye hesitantly nodded since this made sense. "The National Liberation Party doesn't want Princess Renner to die since her policies align with our own agenda. She would make an excellent figurehead for my people to rally behind."

"You say that, but you may actually think that she'd be more effective as a martyr to get people to move against the Kingdom," Evileye retorted.

"No, she's much more useful to us alive and it would turn the people against our cause if they ever found out," Sebas replied coolly. "Furthermore, killing her wouldn't be the right thing to do. I insist that you come with us immediately seeing as it will only be a matter of time before the enemy converges on our position."

"It's okay, Evileye," Climb spoke up. "Sebas is a good man. We can trust him."

"Alright. Lead the way," Evileye grunted. "But I'm keeping an eye on you."

"Very well," Sebas shrugged without even a hint of fear, which only unnerved Evileye more.

"What about Tina?" Climb asked.

"She an adamantite adventurer, Climb," Evileye responded. "There's no way she'd fall to these sad excuses for assassins. I'll send word of what's been happening to Lakyus once we're out of danger." With Sebas leading the way, the group weaved through a few more alleyways and eventually returned to the main road. There were two Izaniya thugs holding up a rather plain carriage, demanding the driver to move.

"Freddon, Jorge, take care of them," Sebas muttered quietly. The two rebels nodded and unheated their daggers and hunting knives. A few throat cuts later, everyone except Evileye piled into the carriage and prepared to leave the city.

"You guys go on ahead! I'll tell Lakyus what's happened and we'll regroup with you at E-Pespel!" Evileye called to the moving carriage.

"Very well!" Sebas called back while leaning out the side of the carriage. "Meet us at the former estate of Duke Kado!"

* * *

The Great Wall of Roble. A 10,000 mile long structure that was designed to keep the barbaric hordes out of the Holy Kingdom. Originally, they just had a fort there, but in their determination to be left alone, they built the massive wall in front of the fort and made that into their primary barrier to keep out nonhumans. The fort was now used as a barracks by the guards. Although it shared the same tenants as the Theocracy, the Holy Kingdom was much more isolationist and hated anything that wasn't like them. That was how it came to be a country in the first place. The entirety of the Holy Kingdom of Roble had started out as settlements and an attempt to expand to the west coast by the Slance Theocracy. For the longest time, they had remained as a part the Theocracy, and then that half-elf Godkin showed up, Zesshi. The Theocracy was split in two. One side believed that she should be exterminated for being an elf while the other side defended her because she was a Godkin. That was what led to the formation of the Holy Kingdom of Roble nearly a century ago. Where the Theocracy put more emphasis on divine lineage, the Holy Kingdom cared more about the "everything that isn't human should die" part. When the Theocracy decided to turn nonhumans into slaves the Holy Kingdom decided to exterminate them by putting them in mines where they would be worked to death. There were exceptions to this rule of course, such as Angels, Valkyries, and other divine creatures, but everything else was hated and the people of the Holy Kingdom preferred to forget that they existed and live in their own little world. That was why the wall was built: to keep them out. Out of sight out of mind. It was a glorious testament to the intolerance that humans and nonhumans shared for one another as well as the Holy Kingdom's determination to remain separate from the rest of the world.

"IIIIIIIIIIIIII'm boooooooooooooooored!"

It was also one of the most boring places to be stationed if you were a guard in service the Holy Kingdom of Roble.

"Calm down, new guy," an old guard called out. "Just take a nap or something. Nothing ever happens here anyway. Most action we ever get is seeing those barbarians out there try to kill each other. Tonight will be no different."

"Yeah, whatever. What about that demon, Jaldabaoth?" the new guy asked. "Any chance he might show up? I heard he did a number on the-" he didn't get to finish because the the older guard held up a hand, signaling the other guard to be quiet.

"Take a look," he whispered as he pointed to some light off in the distance. Upon closer inspection, the new guy could see that the light was coming from torches. The torches were being held by goblins, ogres, orcs, Dark Dwarves, and Dark Elves all riding on various creatures such as horses, barghests, sleipnirs, and some of the dwarves and goblins even rode on wargs and wolves. It was a massive cooperative army. The only creatures that weren't riding anything were the orcs and ogres. Kharvok and Vega were leading the charge and the only respective leader that was missing was Battlemaster Urk, who the guards didn't know was dead, of the goblins, orcs, and ogres. There were multiple things that were alarming about this image. One: They were all armed and looked like they were ready to bring about the apocalypse. Two: They weren't fighting each other like they usually were and appeared to be working together. Three: They were headed straight for the wall.

"Raise the alarm!" the old guard yelled.

"I can't!" the new guy called back. "Someone sabotaged the bell!"

"That would be me," an evil voice announced from behind them. The guards turned around to see a man wearing a black suit, a cape made from feathers that were the purest white, and a grinning mask was flying on the side of the wall they were trying to defend. Without another word, he pointed at the wall and used a spell. "[Hellfire Explosion]."

"Shit," was the last word the new guard said before the section of the wall he and the old guard were standing on was completely destroyed in an explosion of black flames. Half a mile of the Great Wall of Roble was now missing.

"I'll be damned. The demon actually did it!" Kharvok laughed before turning back to his fellow Dark Dwarves. "C'mon boys! There's prime looting to be done!"

"Death to the humans!" Vega roared as he unsheathed two war axes from his sides, preferring to leave the World Savior strapped to his back until he found a worthy enemy, namely his father. Although he wasn't killing his rapist of a father today, his eyes had a bloodthirsty look to them as he thought about the bitch who had his mother killed: Queen Hope Pious. He would not rest until he had her head on a pike just like she had done to his mother. Her sister Angela, who was the one who messed up his face in the first place, would be a satisfying bonus prize when he returned the favor. On the word of their leaders, the army of nonhumans charged through the hole in the wall Jaldabaoth had created and towards the Holy City of Roble. They passed the fort that was on the other side of the wall without any problems because, as Jaldabaoth had promised, demons had already snuck into the fort and murdered the guards stationed there. At the rate they were moving, it would only be a few hours until they reached Roble itself.

* * *

The dwarves turned pale as they heard the Death Knights slaughtering the Quagoa. They knew the moment they met Lucifer that he was extraordinarily powerful, but to think that he could create such monstrosities out of nothing would have been laughable a few moments ago. Now that it had actually come to pass, nobody was laughing except Lucifer.

"I wonder what kind of undead I can create from the Quagoa corpses?" Luicfer wondered out loud. "Their fur is resistant to blades and that's an advantage I would want to keep, so I would want to turn them into zombies of some sort. Frankensteins perhaps?" The Commander in Chief wasn't paying attention to Lucifer's ravings and, like his men, was staring at the gates the Death Knights had charged through listening to the sound of the slaughter. Lucifer was amused, if nothing else, by the expressions of fear on their faces. Seeing that look on people's faces was never going to get old.

"I knew you were powerful your majesty, but I never imagined you could do something like that," Gondo commented. "By the way, would it be alright if returned home for now?"

"Absolutely," Lucifer nodded. "I trust you will make the necessary arrangements on your end?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. I suppose I'll leave the rest to you," Lucifer said as he dismissed Gondo. "Commander in Chief, if you don't mind I would like to meet this council you were speaking of."

"Ah, right," the Commander in Chief replied, apparently snapping out of trance. "Follow me your majesty, I'll show you the way."

"Excellent. Shalltear, Zenberu, with me," Lucifer ordered. "Aura, you and the others keep an eye on the Death Knights and report to me if there are any changes in the situation."

"Yes my lord!" Aura saluted with her fist in the air before jumping up onto the wall to observe the carnage while the undead soldiers they had brought took defensive positions. With that, Lucifer, Shalltear, and Zenberu were led by the Commander in Chief into the dwarven city. As they were led through the streets they, obviously, became the center of attention. Dwarven mothers hid their children indoors, but other than that there wasn't much panic regarding the Quagoa attack. This was even further demonstrated by two drunk dwarves stumbling out of a bar.

"Your people don't seem particularly concerned about the Quagoa," Lucifer commented.

"That's because they don't know about it," the Commander in Chief said with a sigh. "They attacked so quickly so the information didn't spread. Depending on the Council's decision, the news should start spreading within the hour. Once we retake the bridge, we'll need to solidify our defenses, investigate the enemy flanking route, and plan a strategy to counter them." Lucifer expertly hid an evil grin behind his pleasant smile. This country was on the verge of collapse and a desperate country would be VERY grateful to whoever saved them, giving Lucifer more power within their society through which he would make them completely dependent on the Eternal Empire. Once they were completely dependent on him he would threaten to take everything away from them unless they joined his country, by which point they would be well aware of his military and personal might. Lucifer suddenly twitched as he felt his Death Knights perish.

[Aura! What happened to my Death Knights?]

[Ah! Sorry my lord, but the Quagoa cut the bridge when they tried to cross. They're in full retreat but the Death Knights fell into the rift.]

[Ah, good. I was concerned something else might've happened. Carry on Aura.] Lucifer sighed in relief. For the briefest of moments he had believed that there might be another player, which would be troublesome.

 _I could let this war between the dwarves and the Quagoa go on, but I can't attend to this with the Holy Kingdom incident on the horizon. Besides, if theses runes really the same as the ones that are in Yggdrasil then they may have been introduced into their society by a player. Gondo said that most of the dwarves' most valuable treasures are in their former capitol city, Feo Berkana, so there might be something regarding players there as well as other items of this world that I might find to be useful. Perhaps I should simply use this opportunity to make an outstanding impression on these midgets._

Before long, the group entered an administrative building after the Commander in Chief kept the trembling guards from pointing their weapons at Lucifer or searching the group. They were led into a small but comfortable waiting room and asked to take a seat.

"Your majesty, I'm off to make a full report to the Council. Can I ask that you wait here for the time being?" the Commander in Chief asked. Lucifer simply nodded in the affirmative. Besides, he would be able to hear everything they said in there anyway. Although Lucifer didn't mind the small space since he slept in a coffin, despite the fact that if he sat up straight his head would hit the ceiling, Zenberu was looking highly uncomfortable.

"I understand this is highly uncomfortable for you, but please bear with it a little longer," Lucifer said.

"If you say so your majesty, but just don't ask me to go into the meeting with you. Speaking with those men gives me a headache," Zenberu sighed.

"I'm sorry Zeneberu, but you need to stay with us. If something were to happen it would be troublesome to protect you if you were too far away. We should always take precautions," Lucifer declared as dwarf came into the room and motioned for them to follow him. "You do not need to speak with them, all you have to do is listen." And with that, they followed the dwarf to the Council Chamber. Lucifer entered the room with the bearing of a king. His cold smile, the soulless red eyes, the way he carried himself, and the power he practically radiated made all who saw him stand up straight.

"Announcing the arrival of the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul!" a dwarf called, announcing the vampire's arrival. Lucifer studied the eight dwarves gathered around a meeting table. They all looked the same but he could tell them apart by smell. Lucifer stood there for a few moments with his arms clasped behind his back, letting them stare at him. Gondo had told him about the leadership already. The High Priest of Earth was in charge of everything magic related, the Forgemaster who controlled all production derived from the many forges, the Commander in Chief, the Director of Food Production who's task goes without saying, the Cabinet Secretary who handled whatever didn't lie within the others' jurisdiction, the Master of Caves and Mines who managed mining and resource extraction, the Merchant's Guldmaster who handled foreign affairs now do to the lack of trade, and finally there was the Brewmaster. Why they had a government position related to booze Lucifer would never understand.

"Good evening, I am the ruler of the Eternal Empire, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul," Lucifer introduced himself as he regally took a seat, deciding he was done being gawked at.

"W-We welcome you, sovereign of the Eternal Empire," the dwarves replied as they introduced themselves. Once they were done with the introductions, they got down to business.

"Allow me to thank you on behalf of our country," the Master of Caves and Mines said. "If it wasn't for your majesty's support our country would've been destroyed."

"Think nothing of it," Lucifer replied dismissively. "An old friend of mine used to say that saving someone in trouble is common sense."

"Your majesty is truly a generous person," the Cabinet Secretary stated. "I'm not sure why you've come here, but we will aid you to the best of our ability. That said, I'm not sure what we can do to help someone who commands such powerful forces."

"It's true that my military power is unmatched, but because my nation is still establishing itself there are inadequacies in other aspects," Lucifer told them.

"I see. We would be happy to be of service to the Eternal Empire," the Master of Caves and Mines said as he narrowed his eyes. "However, I would like to hear the reason you came to our city. The Commander in Chief has already informed us of course, but I would like to hear it from the horse's mouth, so-to-speak."

"Very well," Lucifer shrugged, deciding to tell them the truth but not the whole truth. "I came to establish an alliance between our nations and engage in trade. I heard from one of your citizens that your staple foods are mushrooms and meat. My nation can provide you with fresh fruits and vegetables as well as alcoholic spirits from my nation." The dwarves' eyes lit up at the mention of booze. "I also understand that you engage in a small amount of trade with the former Baharuth Empire."

"Aye, about twenty dwarves' worth of merchandise," the Merchants' Guildmaster confirmed. "We can't move too much because of the steepness of the mountain paths and monsters lurking about." Lucifer grinned as he realized what perfect trading partners the dwarves made.

"I believe we can help each other in this regard," Lucifer said. "Having your people move cargo on their own would be quite dangerous. So, in addition to exporting foodstuffs it would be relatively simple to establish a proper trade route between our countries and I could provide you with creatures much sturdier than horses to pull your wagons."

"Wait a minute," the Forgemaster interjected. "There are two things I'd like to bring up here. You said "former" Baharuth Empire. What happened to them?"

 _I can already tell that this idiot is going to be a problem._

"Oh, they surrendered to me and joined my nation willingly," Lucifer said dismissively eliciting gasps from the dwarves.

"Secondly, will these creatures be undead?" the Forgemaster demanded with furrowed eyebrows.

"Precisely. I propose the use of undead pulled cargo wagons," Lucifer announced pleasantly while masking his annoyance. "They have the power to defend themselves and never tire. They are excellent transportation tools in addition to providing other types of manual labor. My nation has already made extensive use of them and the response from my citizens has been very positive."

"Is it not true that the undead will attack the living?" the Forgemaster growled.

"It is true that many would think that way about an average undead being and to be honest, that perception is not unwarranted. Your average, mindless undead being will hate and attack the living," Lucifer said as he suppressed the urge to light this idiot's beard on fire. "However, under my leadership the undead of the Eternal Empire will not pose any trouble to you. They would never dare to act without my approval. You have my word on this. In addition, my nation can supply labor." The Forgemaster glared at Lucifer as if he hated him on a personal level.

 _Aw, did the little dwarf lose his family to a big bad undead? I'm sorry, I don't give a damn. You opinions and fears are meaningless to me. The only reason I don't topple your country is because it is more convenient for me to do things this way._

"Labor?" the High Priest of Earth asked.

"On my way here I saved one of your people from the Quagoa and I heard about the work you do in the mines," Lucifer stated. "A taskforce of undead workers can take up that job with ease."

"Really?" the Master of Caves and Mines spoke up, his interest piqued.

"Of course. I have already implemented this within human nations and mining colonies. It was very successful," Lucifer smirked. "In fact, I believe the mine's foreman requested that I send additional undead miners."

"So you've already done this in human nations," the Master of Caves and Mines murmured. "Being able to relocate the manpower assigned to mining is an attractive proposal. However-"

"You do not to give me an answer now, it was merely an offer," Lucifer interrupted. "I understand your unease towards the undead and am willing to wait for your response."

"Your majesty, could we purchase some of those creatures you made, Death Knights, as a defensive force?" the Commander in Chief asked causing the other dwarves to stare at him.

"Commander in Chief, it is too risky to have another nation's hands wrapped around our throat!" the Forgemaster sneered. "It's too dangerous to rely on the strength of other nations!"

 _He's senile, but he unfortunately knows what I'm trying to do. This fool will need to be removed from the equation permanently._

"I know that, but the undead his majesty created are extremely powerful," the Commander in Chief declared. "A mere TWO of them managed to drive back the Quagoa. With them around we would never have to fear those monsters again! They'd make a wonderful last line of defense now that we've lost our fortress. The safety of the nation must come first." The Commander in Chief and the Forgemaster glared at each other for a few moments before the Commander in Chief finally broke the staring contest. "We can discuss this later. This isn't something we should be talking about in front of his majesty, who came all the way here from his own country to grace us with his presence. My apologies Lord Dracul, this argument was caused by the attractive nature of your proposals and I hope you will ignore it. May I ask what it is you want in return? We have very little to offer."

"On the contrary, you have plenty," Lucifer corrected him. "Although I have several mines within my own territory, they often produce the same things. Gold, silver, marble, granite, steel, iron, there is very little variety. Your mines are rich with ores that I don't have access to."

"I see," the Merchants' Guildmaster grinned. "That's why you suggested an undead labor force. If we could excavate minerals in large amounts there would be a surplus and the price would go down. Clever."

"I'm glad you think so," Lucifer chuckled. "Of course, I will keep the price of renting undead labor to be just as cheap to ensure that this arrangement remains lucrative for both parties. Additionally, I would like weapons and armor crafted by your forges. I've heard the quality of your work is exquisite." Lucifer knew that dwarven gear was high quality and with the smiths of the Eternal Empire being given competition they would strive to improve their own. Additionally, he would be giving most of it Ainzach for the new Adventurers' Guild.

"Thank you for sharing all this with us your highness," the Director of Food Production spoke up. "Would you mind giving us some time to consider your proposals?"

"Of course," Lucifer said pleasantly. "I'm immortal, I have all the time in the world. However, I believe it's time we address the most important issue. Let's talk about the Quagoa." The dwarves immediately became tense. "What would've happened if I hadn't been around to stop the Quagoa, Commander in Chief?"

"They would've overrun the gate and poured into the city," the Commander in Chief replied with a bitter expression on his face. "Countless lives would've been lost." The other dwarves had equally bitter expressions on their own faces but none of them tried to waste time with pointless bickering. They had been careless by relying too heavily on the Great Rift's fortress. Lucifer understood, he had been arrogant and confident in Nazarick's power until Nigun told him everything about this world.

"From my point of view, the Quagoa are still a threat and will continue to attack you until you are all dead," Lucifer stated. "Without me, it would be very difficult to repel the next Quagoa invasion and the destruction of a nation I intend to ally with would be inconvenient to say the least. So I would like to extend to you the chance of a lifetime. I can wipe out the Quagoa nest and take back the dwarven capitol." The dwarves' eyes widened when he said that.

"Your majesty, would such a thing be possible?" the Master of Caves and Mines asked.

"Absolutely," Lucifer responded. "These Quagoa are so weak that a mere two of my average foot soldiers were able to drive back an army of them. It will more time consuming than difficult."

"This is way too idealistic for an undead," the Forgemaster said with a glare. "Why are you helping us? What do you want? This is like waving a bottle of fine wine in front of a stranger. There' no way there won't be any strings attached."

"A reasonable question," Lucifer replied as he shot a look of hatred towards the Forgemaster. "I believe it is more profitable to establish relations with your country than the Quagoa. I've gotten the impression that you fine gentlemen understand things like common sense and indebtedness. Who do you think would owe a greater a debt if given assistance? The people who are about win or the people who are about to lose? Additionally, I won't be doing this out of the good in my nonexistent heart. I require payment."

"I see. What is it you want?" the Merchant's Guildmaster asked. "Gold? Exotic ores? Rare metals? Mining rights?"

"Although I would like mining rights, that is not the payment I want for this particular endeavor and we can address that at another time," Lucifer said as he recalled Gondo's goals. "I want to recruit the runesmiths of this country to my own." The dwarves stared at him in confusion.

"What the fuck," were the first words out of the Brewmaster's mouth since the beginning of the meeting.

"Runic equipment is rare in the nations surrounding the Eternal Empire and are therefore valuable articles. So, I would like to recruit them to my own nation in order to produce my own runecrafted wargear," Lucifer explained.

"You mean you'll take them as slaves!" the Forgemaster shouted. Lucifer simply offered him a cold smile.

"I will do no such thing. Have you not listened to a single word I've said?" Lucifer smirked. "I said that I want to open international ties and trade with your nation, did I not? Does it make any sense to take the citizens of an allied nation as slaves? No. Furthermore, slavery is banned in my country anyway. Do not bother to offer me top priority in the sale of runic gear instead, I intend to form a monopoly on the sale of the runesmiths' creations."

"Can you give us a minute to discuss your terms?" the Brewmaster asked.

"Of course, but don't take too long," Lucifer said as he stood up. "Last minute work may cost more." The moment Lucifer was out of the room, the dwarves snapped.

"What the hell was all that?"

"He's evil incarnate!"

"Meh."

"What an unbelievable monster!"

"There's no doubt about the fear he commands."

"I thought I was going to piss myself!"

"I DID piss myself!"

"I hate how he's so easy to agree with. He's like a devil who tricks people into selling their souls."

"He must be gathering equipment for his army of darkness!"

"How could such an evil creature be benevolent? It's impossible!"

Little did they know, Lucifer could hear everything they said and was quietly laughing at them.

"Still, his proposal is very attractive," the Commander in Chief stated. "Our country will be destroyed if we don't make use of the Immortal Emperor's might." The other dwarves were brought back to reality in a cringe worthy fashion.

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do against the Quagoa on our own?" the Brewmaster asked.

"Not a chance in hell."

"What if we just borrowed the Immortal Emperor's power and claimed that we knew nothing about such an arrangement?" the Merchants' Guildmaster proposed.

"Do you want to give him an excuse to destroy us?" the Master of Caves and Mines countered.

"Do you think that Dracul is pulling the Quagoa's strings behind the scenes?"

"Possible, but we have no way of proving it."

"The important thing is that the Immortal Emperor chose us instead of the Quagoa. If we displease him we may as well be putting a noose around our necks," the Commander in Chief declared.

"Still, everything he said made perfect sense," the Merchants' Guildmaster spoke up. "Everything from his demands to his reasoning was perfectly logical. If he really does command an army that can tear the Quagoa apart then allying with him could give us amazing benefits."

"He said he would rent us undead labor. If he wants the mines then why doesn't he simply conquer us and take them for himself?" the Director of Food Production wondered aloud.

"We know this mountain well," the Master of Caves and Mines said. "It's easier for him to just let us continue to run things and let us excavate the ore from which he'll benefit all the same."

"I think it will be alright if we work with the Immortal Emperor," the Commander in Chief stated. "As long as he gets what he wants he'll keep us safe. Like a mercenary with a huge appetite for wine." Most of the other dwarves nodded.

"You intend to become minions to an undead freak?" the Forgemaster spat. "He's evil!"

"It's not about good or evil now," the Brewmaster grumbled. "You heard the Commander in Chief. If we don't work with him then our country faces extermination by the Quagoa and we can't go to the Baharuth Empire for help since the Eternal Empire has swallowed them up and they wouldn't be able to do much against them if they were still around anyway. The Eternal Empire appears to be our only option. We can start by asking for help and discuss trade deals after we know more about Dracul's empire. Agreed?"

"That seems like the safest way of doing it," the Master of Caves and Mines agreed as the other dwarves nodded.

"Are you forgetting that he's taking our people as slaves!?" the Forgemaster bellowed.

"Slaves?"

"THE RUNESMITHS!"

"But he said that they wouldn't be slaves," the Brewmaster interjected.

"Do you believe a word that comes out of that abomination's mouth?" the Forgemaster sneered.

"I think it'll be fine," the Merchants' Guilmaster spoke up, causing the Forgemaster to glare bloody murder at him. "He said that he wouldn't take them as slaves so all we need to do is send people over to make sure he treats the runesmiths well and keeps to his word. And this may seem a bit heartless, but runecraft is essentially dead anyway."

"I OPPOSE IT!" the Forgemaster yelled, foaming at the mouth. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE SO MUCH TRUST IN THE IMMORTAL EMPEROR! HE'S UNDEAD! AN ABOMINATION! HE SHOULDN'T EXIST!"

"Trust aside, this city will undoubtedly be destroyed if we do not employ the Immortal Emperor's power," the Commander in Chief said coldly, sick of the Forgemaster's bullshit. "What you're doing is throwing away our only lifeline and dooming this city based off nothing more than the fact that he is a vampire."

"WHAT!?"

"I'm in charge of our military so I know our situation better than most. We will ALL DIE if we don't accept his help. Is that what you want? If you have another way to beat back the Quagoa then I'm all ears! Otherwise, stop spouting complaints and start coming up with solutions!"

"You sunuva bitch!" the Forgemaster roared as he grabbed the Commander in Chief. "You betrayed us to Immortal Emperor didn't you!?" Before the fight could escalate, something grabbed the Forgemaster by the beard and lifted him into the air, causing him to howl in pain. Lucifer Dracul had slipped back into the room and was dangling the Forgemaster in the air by his beard. Although dwarves were short, they were by no means light. Picking up a dwarf was like picking up a boar, so the fact that Lucifer was able to lift the Forgemaster so easily spoke volumes of his strength.

"He is very loud. I could hear every word that came out of his mouth from the other room," Lucifer stated coldly. The other dwarves gulped as they realized that Lucifer had heard every word they had said. "Now, have you reached a decision?" Lucifer asked as he unceremoniously dropped the Forgemaster, who landed on his ass.

"Y-yes. We would like to accept your majesty's offers," the Commander in Chief replied as he sat back down. The other dwarves all nodded except for the Forgemaster who did nothing but glare at Lucifer. "We wish to open friendly relations with the Eternal Empire and establish trade with you. That said, we will still need to work out some of the finer details."

"Some associates of mine will be here within the next few days," Lucifer said. "You can work out the finer details with them once they get here."

"As for the runesmiths," the Master of Caves and Mines spoke up. "We will agree to your conditions as long as we are permitted to inspect the Eternal Empire to see how our brethren are treated."

"I have no problem with that arrangement," Lucifer replied. The Forgemaster scowled as the others let out sighs of relief upon hearing his response. "I will begin the journey to your former capitol tomorrow after I've spoken with the runesmiths. There are a few other things to discuss however…."

* * *

The sun had risen over the city of Roble. The people of the Holy Kingdom, as usual, joined their Queen in the morning prayers as they heard her voice echo throughout the city via the magical amplification devices set up all over the city. Whenever the prayers began, everyone would stop what they were doing, clasp their hands, and kneel.

"My fellow devotees of the Six Great Gods, let us give thanks for yet another day blessed by the gods themselves," Hope's voice reverberated throughout the city. "Even in light of the Demon King Jaldabaoth's attacks and his attempts to intimidate us, we remain strong. This demon would never dare set foot in our most holy of cities, further demonstrating his cowardice and that nothing has the power to defy the gods-" suddenly, the sound of static blared throughout the city grating in the people's ears.

"I'm afraid that's where you are wrong, you highness," a sinister voice sneered, taking control of the communication spell. "Run and hide humans for I am here and you will all suffer." As if on cue, the sounds of screaming, laughing, jeering, and war cries echoed throughout the city. From the east side of the city came the warriors of the Dark Elf Country, from the north came the barbarians of the Orc Settlements, from the south came the bandits of the Dark Dwarf Slavers, and from the west came the biggest demon horde Demiurge's Evil Lords had ever summoned. The Dark Elves tore into the city led by Vega and started killing every human in their way.

"No humans leave this city alive!" Vega bellowed as he cut down anyone between him and the Holy Palace. A few guards tried to stop him and drew their swords. "[Whirlwind]!" Vega shouted, activating his martial art. He turned into a spinning mass of sharp metal and sliced and diced his way through them. Their bodies hit the ground in several pieces but Vega just kept moving, not bothering to check his handiwork. There was one thing and one thing only on his mind: kill Queen Hope.

* * *

Kharvok laughed as he flattened another guard's skull with his war hammer, splattering blood and bits of the man's brain all over the floor. He and his fellow Dark Dwarves were looting homes, killing anyone who put up a fight, and chaining up everyone they could get their hands on to take them as slaves.

"This is gotta be the best damn raid I've ever been a part of!" Kharvok cackled as he swaggered out of a house, covered in jewelry and bags of money. He laughed even more as he watched a few goblins riding wolves chasing after a couple of kids. "You're gonna hafta run faster than that if you wanna live kiddies!" His laughter stopped abruptly when he heard two of his men scream in agony from the other side of the house. Kharvok readied his war hammer and approached, ready for a fight. When he got to the edge of the wall, he peeked around the wall to see a couple of Hellhound feasting on his men.

 _Dammit! The demon stabbed us in the back! Clever bastard, I was gonna do the same thing._

He turned around to go find the rest of his men and warn them only to find himself face to face with a mob of Gazer Devils that were rushing towards him with awkward, lanky steps. Before he could even think of a way to escape without them catching him, Kharvok felt the jaws of a Hellhound clamp down on his leg. He yelled in pain and fell over, kicking and screaming, trying to get it off him. He failed however and the Gazer Devils were practically piling on top of him trying to rip his skin off. The screams of agony Kharvok made for the next eight minutes would be the last sounds he ever made.

* * *

Queen Hope watched from her balcony as the Holy City of Roble became hell on earth. People were being butchered in the streets and the Demon-Orc-Dark Elf-Dark Dwarf Alliance seemed to be falling apart and no one but the demons seemed to be certain of what to do: massacre everyone. Buildings were burning, blood flowed like rivers, and the streets looked more like mass graves than actual roads. Hope flinched as she saw ten massive creatures, Stygi just like during the Demonic Disturbance, flew over the city and breathed their venomous fire into the outer perimeter of Roble, keeping everyone who was in the city trapped inside. Hope couldn't believe it, had the gods forsaken them? Her grip on the holy relic Loginus tightened as she continued to stare at the horrific scene.

 _I was such a fool. How could I have been so arrogant? I guess we depended on the Great Wall too much. Our gods have abandoned us for our hubris._

"Your highness!" Roman called as he ran into the throne room, half carrying the still recovering Angela. "The Holy Army is dropping like flies and have no way of retreating, there is no way we can evacuate civilians, and enemies have entered the palace! What shall we do?" Hope turned to stare at him, tears streaming from her eyes.

"There's only one thing we can do," Hope said in a defeated voice. "We must ask for help." Angela's and Roman's eyes widened, realizing that his queen was serious. Never, in the entire history of the Holy Kingdom had they EVER asked for help. "It is the only way we will stand a chance against this demon. You and Angela will escape on my hippogriff and I will fly alongside you." With that said, she led Roman and Angela through the halls to her personal stable. As they approached, they could hear fighting down in the lower levels of the palace.

"Get down!" one of the guards at the end of the hall shouted as a massive Devourer smashed through the double doors and began crushing the guards that got in its way. Closer towards them, another pair of doors smashed open. A tall Dark Elf wielding two war axes stomped into their line of sight. He had used human blood as war paint to create two lines that ran down his face under his eyes making him look like he was crying blood but those eyes had no pain in them, only bloodlust. Hope gasped when she saw his silver hair and his heterochromatic eyes. He was the spitting image of his mother, the Dark Elf Queen the Holy Kingdom had captured and had given a public execution. Angela also recognized him, not because of his semblance to the former Dark Elf Queen, but because of his missing left cheek that looked like it had been mauled off, exposing his teeth on that side of his face making him look like he was always growling and gnashing his teeth. She recognized that wound, she had inflicted it. The Dark Elf King Vega. He turned his head towards them and laid his hateful eyes upon the exact two people he had hated for so long.

"YOU!" he snarled. In that moment, he didn't care that Jaldabaoth had betrayed his him, he didn't care that his people were being killed, all he cared about was his revenge.

"[Arrow of Divinity]!" Hope cried, launching an arrow or purifying light towards Vega, trying to gain some time to escape. Vega rolled to the side, dodging the spell, but it had given the Pious sisters and Roman enough time to start running again. Vega made to pursue but was intercepted by five guards.

"You're in my way! [Sixfold Slash of Light]!" Vega roared as he ran towards them, making six simultaneous slashes with his war axes. He had ran past them before their corpses, now in several pieces, hit the floor and chased after the Valkyries.

* * *

Hope, Roman, and Angela arrived in a room that was similar to a stable, apart from the enormous window for creatures to fly in and out of, where a massive hippogriff awaited them. Roman jumped up onto the hippogriff and helped pull the injured Angela up while Hope pushed her up from under her before running over to the post that the hippogriff was tethered to.

"Alright! She's on!" Roman declared as he held onto her tightly. "Where should we go to get help?"

"We can't go to the Slane Theocracy because they'll demand Loginus in return, the Re-Estize Kingdom is in a civil war, the Agrand Council Alliance hates us, the Baharuth Empire and the Draconic Kingdom don't exist anymore, and the City State Alliance will take forever to respond so we are left with one option! We must go to the Immortal Emperor!" Hope declared as whe untied the hippogriff from its post with a pained look on her face. Roman and Angela cringed too, knowing that this meant working with the undead. "You're untied! Let's get-"

"DIE BITCH!" an animalistic roar tore through the air as Vega jumped towards Hope. Before anyone could react, he had already landed behind her and plunged his war axe into her back right between her angelic wings. Angela screamed as her sister's body hit the floor.

Hope was dead.

Roman wanted to jump down and kill the dark elf, but knew that he didn't stand a chance, he was a minister for crying out loud! Angela weakly struggled against him to try to jump down and fight but Roman wouldn't let her. He knew she was too weak and he wouldn't let her throw her life away like this. With tears in his eyes, he signaled the hippogriff to start moving. They ascended into the sky at a breakneck pace and disappeared among the clouds. Vega growled as he watched them escape. He glanced down to see Hope's corpse had some….. thing in her hand. With a huff of aggravation, he kicked it out of her hand and out the enormous window his prey had escaped though. He turned around and, after kicking Hope's corpse a few times violently, he walked over to the window, wondering what he should do about Jaldabaoth's betrayal.

"At least I got one of the Valkyrie Sisters," he mumbled as he looked out the window. His eyes widened at what he saw. The Dark Dwarves, Dark Elves, orcs, goblins, ogres, and humans were being rounded up by the demons and were being herded towards his location, the palace. Everywhere he looked was a horror show of absolute cruelty. The demons were preforming mass executions with every living thing they found and began loading the corpses into wagons. Humans, Demihumans, it didn't matter to them. A corpse was a corpse.

 _This isn't what it was supposed to be like! Whenever I imagined the eradication of the humans, I thought it would be a glorious battle to the death not….. this. I wouldn't wish this for anyone, not even those filthy humans._

Vega thought he had known evil and cruelty at the hands of the humans and the so-called divine. Today, he had learned what those words really meant. With one last look at the horrible things happening below, he turned around and left the room as quietly as he could. He didn't know what he was going to do, it wasn't like he could escape since the Stygi had surrounded the city with fire, but he was going to do something.

* * *

Jaldabaoth flew into the throne room and pompously took a seat on the deceased queen's throne. He studied the room and calculated the positioning of the palace in conjunction with the rest of the city, thinking of the best way to lay out the "magical artifacts" he would use to supposedly bring about the end of humanity.

"Lord Dracul will be most pleased," he grinned.

[Omega, this is Demiurge. Please set up a gate at my coordinates.]

[Yes sir Lord Demiurge!]

* * *

 **I've wanted to write those words ever since I created Hope. "Hope was dead" Longest chapter I've done yet. Almost 12k words.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	29. Pathetic Dragons and Beastmen

Chapter 28: Pathetic Dragons and Beastmen

In the heart of the Beastmen Country the current ruling Patriarch. Archon, was preparing his people for their migration into the decimated Draconic Kingdom. His people had always been nomadic and tribal in nature, which used to lead to issues between clashing tribes. In a culture that preferred to move in tribes instead of staying in one place, there were often arguments over what would be whose land and for how long the former capitol city of Quetz had always been the place to work such disagreements out. There had been an age when the tribes would simply kill one another until there was nobody left to disagree with, but this had left them weak and outnumbered when they were invaded by the Troll Kingdom, who were ALWAYS at war with someone. The Troll Kingdom had conquered most of their land before the tribes managed to unite to push them back. After that disaster of a war, it was decided that there needed to be a way to settle disputes peacefully, build cities for defensive purposes, and administer territorial claims. It was with these implementations that began the road from becoming the Beastmen Tribes to the Beastmen Country. As time went on, tribes became less and less common as beastmen started moving into the cities, although they held on to many of their traditions, with Quetz being the most notable among them. But then the Soul Eaters appeared and made Quetz into an inhabitable hell hole and forced the few survivors to flee. This is what caused the invasion of the Draconic Kingdom in the first place, they needed a new capitol city and more food to make up for the resources that had been lost in Quetz. The Draconic Kingdom could provide both, which was why Archon was organizing the migration into the Draconic Kingdom. He was a Dragonoid with silver colored scales clad in robes made from the furs of several different animals and a crown-helmet combo made from a deer skull that had metal grafted onto the bone and additional antlers attached to it to form what could've been viewed as a crown. His purple eyes swept over the crowd of beastmen families who were eager to make the Draconic Kingdom their own. These weren't combatants, these were workers, settlers, hunters, traders, and others who kept society running. Archon himself wasn't doing much other than daydreaming about the coming empire that would rise from this war. Unfortunately for him, his thoughts were interrupted by a loli Rabbitman messenger running towards him. She had big red eyes, was practically albino, and large rabbit ears on top of her head. With her ears she was at shoulder height with a regular human, without them she came up so that her shoulders were at the same height as a human's waist

"Sir!" she called out. "We have news from our forces who we sent to attack the capitol city of Lux!

"Good," Archon replied in a deep, heavily accented voice. "How long do they need to prepare for the arrival of the noncombatants, Lapin?"

"That's the problem sir," the Rabbitman winced. "They failed to capture the city and our armies have been forced to retreat. The tide of the war is turning in favor of the enemy." Archon's eyes widened.

"How is this possible?" Archon demanded angrily, making the Rabbitman take a few steps back.

"Our reports indicate that that the Draconic Kingdom has received assistance from a foreign power known as the Eternal Empire," the Rabbitman squeaked. "We have very little information regarding them but they appear to be a nation made up of human, demihuman, and heteomorphic races."

"Ridiculous," Archon muttered. "I've never heard of this nation nor have I ever heard of so many races working together. What of their military?"

"Their military forces, known as the Legion, answer to an armored man who has been slaughtering our men in such high numbers that our troops have taken to calling him the Black Death and their army, as unbelievable as it sounds, is mostly made up of undead creatures," the Rabbitman said, gulping as she got to the worst part. "We have remained skeptical of these reports but our men returning from the front lines have confirmed that they employ very powerful undead and have confirmed that a Soul Eater is among them." Archon's eyes widened in fear.

"Impossible," he whispered. "How could they control such monsters?"

"This is only a rumor but I've heard that their ruler, the Immortal Emperor, is an extremely powerful vampire," the Rabbitman said nervously. Archon was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"Declare a ceasefire. It's time we opened up negotiations with this Immortal Emperor," Archon declared. "Since he is a vampire, I can offer him the blood of the thousands of humans we've captured. The best case scenario we can hope for is that we can get him to switch sides and fight for us."

"Y-yes Patriarch!" she cried in a panicked voice before running off, leaving Archon to muse about the new situation.

"What is the Eternal Empire?"

* * *

The Deadhouse: Jigsaw's new home away from home as well a factory/laboratory combo superstructure that excelled in both quick production as well as the research of matters both scientific and magical. The time it took to produce Clockwork Soldiers had been cut in half and they were being built by the dozens. Of course, that was only one of the projects being undertaken within the factory. The most important tasks would always be the ones handed out by the Supreme Being himself, and Jigsaw had an important role to play in the operation within the Holy Kingdom. He has removed his usual plague doctor mask, revealing his ugly face. His face looked like it was falling apart with the only thing holding his mismatched skin together were the countless stitches that practically covered his face. There was a respiratory vent grafted to his throat, he had no nose, one eye was a dull gray while the other was hidden behind a magnifying glass grafted over his eye socket, his jaw had been removed and replaced with one that was mechanical, and a metal spine bulged from the back of his head as well his back. As we was tinkering with a device he was working on that would allow spells to be stored in cartridges which could be fired at hostiles, Clementine marched into his office and saluted him.

"Stop saluting and get to why you're here lass," Jigsaw demanded, not appreciating the fact that someone was distracting him from his work.

"Sir, Lord Demiurge and Lady Omega have set up a [Gate] between the Holy Kingdom of Roble and the factory, more specifically inside the Undead Projects department," Clementine reported as she cringed upon once again seeing her creator's bizarre appearance.

"Ah! Brilliant!" Jigsaw proclaimed as he grabbed his plague doctor mask in and darted out of his office closely followed by Clementine. "Inform the Elder Lich managers to allocate manpower as deemed necessary and to start up the conveyor belt!" Having been given her orders, Clementine set out to fulfil them while Jigsaw ran to Undead Projects, equipping his mask as he ran. Upon entering the main room of the department, Jigsaw found a [Gate] on the ceiling from which the corpses of Dark Elves, Dark Dwarves, humans, orcs, ogres, and goblins were being dumped in the middle of the room. The undead workers were collecting the corpses, organizing them by race, and throwing them onto conveyor belts.

"Sir," an Elder Lich spoke up. "We have commenced standard processing procedures by skinning the corpses, draining them of blood, collecting the organs and meat, and sending the bones to be made into Death Knights, Blood Meat Hulks, Dark Paladins, Vampire Knights, Frankensteins, Death Chevaliers, Elder Liches, and Skull Knights. Additionally Lord Dracul is expected to send us some dragon corpses. He wishes for us to strip the corpses of their meat, scales, and blood but to leave the bones be as he wishes to experiment with the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown's ability to create new kinds of undead."

"Excellent work," Jigsaw nodded in approval. "Focus on the orcs and ogres to be made into zombies and equip them with armor from the metal works. Since one of the best ways to kill a zombie is to attack the head it is harder for the enemy to succeed in killing them if there's a massive piece of metal between them and the head. Bring any corpses with genetic defects to my attention as they may prove valuable to my research. If you need anything from me I'll be in the corner reading. Lady Albedo demanded that I learn proper procedures for when she gives birth to our master's child"

* * *

Lucifer had used the time he spent traveling to Feo Berkana thinking about all the uses he would have for the dragon corpses. Although they could be painful to deal with in Yggdrasil, they were a treasure trove of resources. He was slightly worried when a single, white and blue dragon came out to greet him and his group. This couldn't be the only dragon here, could it?

 _Why is this dragon wearing glasses?_

"This area belongs to the Quagoa and we Frost Dragons. Why –I mean- may I ask why you have come here?" the dragon asked nervously as repeatedly glanced toward Lucifer.

"We're here to launch an attack and kill you all!" Aura declared happily. "You're not the only dragon here are you? The dragons I know grow stronger and get bigger with age, but you don't look very big. What's up with this?" Lucifer rolled his eyes and strode over to the dragon.

"I have a schedule to keep so let's get this over with," he said as raised his hand as if he were about to grab something. "[Grasp Hea-" The dragon looked absolutely terrified as he saw Lucifer approach with his hand raised.

"WAIT!" he screamed as he pressed his head against the ground in what appeared to be a bow. Lucifer raised an eyebrow and frowned slightly as he stared at the dragon.

"Speak quickly," Lucifer growled.

"Y-yes! My name is Hejinmal! May I please inquire as to what your great name may be?" the dragon, now identified as Hejinmal, genuflected. Gondo's jaw dropped while Aura and Shalltear didn't seem particularly surprised.

"I am Lucifer Dracul," Lucifer said as he crossed his arms. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I immediately recognized your great strength and realized you are an extraordinary person!" Hejinmal cried. "I believe it is appropriate to take this position when addressing a mighty being such as yourself!"

 _Smart dragon. Dammit I wanted those body parts. Oh well, there's bound to be some prideful fools around here who will need their hearts crushed._

"So you intend to bow to me?"

"Yes!"

"Very well, raise your head," Lucifer said with a sigh as he motioned for Hejinmal to rise. Once the dragon rose to his feet, Lucifer noticed something off about his body. "You appear to have fat reserves underneath your skin. I was under the impression that Frost Dragons are immune to the cold. Was I incorrect?"

"N-no. I'm the only one that's like this," Hejinmal winced.

"So are you saying that you're a rare specimen or that you're simply overweight?" Lucifer asked.

"O-overweight," Hejinmal stuttered, eliciting a sigh from Lucifer.

"Aura, put this dragon through an exercise regimen until I deem him fit for service upon our return to Nazarick," Lucifer ordered indifferently. "Now Hejinmal, are there any other dragons besided yourself?"

"Yes my lord, there are four that are older than me, six around the same age as me, and nine that are younger than me," Hejinmal reported. Lucifer displayed an evil grin in response.

"Excellent. What tier magic are the elder dragons capable of?" Lucifer inquired.

"They are capable of using spells of the 3rd Tier," Hejinmal stated, still deathly afraid of the vampire.

"3rd Tier? That's it? How disappointing," Lucifer sneered with a roll of his eyes.

"I-I did hear that my father is capable of using [Flame Resistance]," Hejinmal stuttered out.

"I see, it is logical to want to cover up one's weaknesses," Lucifer said nonchalantly. "Aura, Shalltear, inform the Quagoa that they have one chance to bow to me. I will go with Hejinmal and eliminate the other dragons."

"M-may I speak?" Hejinmal asked hesitantly.

"Do so quickly."

"Yes my lord. My fellow dragons do not know of your greatness, master. Would you be willing to extend your mercy to those fools?" Hejinmal pleaded.

"We only need to chase them out right? Can I ask you something dragon?" Gondo finally spoke up.

"Please do," Hejinmal replied, unsure how he should address the dwarf.

"Are there any other dragons around beside the ones in this place?" Gondo asked.

"I think so."

"Are you able to order them around?"

"No, they're from a different tribe."

"My lord," Gondo began as he turned to Lucifer. "After we drive out the Frost Dragons, we can tell the Council that there are still other dragons around-"

"And force them to continue to rely on the Eternal Empire to protect their reclaimed capitol," Luicfer finished with a smirk. "You have a devious mind Gondo. That is a wonderful idea. Now Hejinmal, where are the Dragons you say are older than you and where is the treasury?"

"They're both the exact same place, my lord," Hejinmal replied confidently. Lucifer gave a nod of approval before he and Gondo mounted onto Hejinmal's back and rode him through the abandoned capitol. As they approached the treasury, Hejinmal spoke up again.

"My lord, this humble servant wishes to inform you that apart from my father there are three other dragons within the treasury," he said. "My mother is among those three. Would it be too much to ask for you to spare her?"

"We shall see," Lucifer replied dismissively.

"Thank you very much master," Hejinmal said in thanks as they entered the treasury. Sure enough, his father the White Dragon Lord, Olasird'arc Haylilyal, was within coiled on a mountain of treasure with his three dragon concubines staring at Hejinmal in confusion. "He who sits on my back is the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul! He shall rule this land and all of us dragons!"

"Have you gone mad, whelp!?" Olasird'arc boomed as he stood up and took a fighting stance, his anger boiling over almost instantaneously. It was an understandable reaction seeing as he had ruled this city up until this point. Paying no heed to the dragon lord's anger, Lucifer flew off of Hejinmal's back and floated to the ground in front of Olasird'arc.

"King of Frost Dragons, will you submit to me or do I need to kill you?" Lucifer asked coldly.

"THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY YOU DAMN VAMPIRE!?" Olasird'arc roared before he finally took notice of Lucifer's dark, regal clothing. The other dragons had taken notice too. If there was one thing that dragons loved it was valuable items. "Wait, what are those clothes you're wearing? I have never seen such treasure. If you want me to forgive your foolishness then offer me your raiment, vampire." Lucifer simply stared at Olasird'arc for a few moments before unleashing mocking laughter.

"You fool. Do you honestly think you stand a chance against me?" Lucifer asked as he continued to laugh at Olasird'arc.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Olasird'arc roared, his anger reignited. "YOU HAVE THOWN AWAY YOUR ONLY CHANCE OF SURVIVAL! NOW YOU MUST SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANGERING-"

"[Grasp Heart]," Lucifer said, still chuckling. Olasird'arc suddenly stiffened and slumped to the floor. He was dead before he hit the ground. "Weakling," Lucifer muttered, all trace of humor gone. "Hejinmal, pick out your mother immediately. I have a tight schedule to keep."

"That's me!" all three dragon concubines shouted. Lucifer glared at them, not buying it.

"I'm quite certain you weren't birthed by three mothers. Pick out the one you actually give a damn about or I'll just kill them all," Lucifer sneered coldly. Hejinmal weakly nodded towards his real mother, knowing he had just sealed the fates of the other two. "Good, now gather the other dragons and have them assemble outside. I will be with you shortly." Hejinmal did as he was told and left with his mother following him. The moment the door shut behind them he heard panicked voices from inside.

"Wait your majesty! We surrend-"

"[Grasp Heart]."

"NO! PLEASE DON'T!"

"[Grasp Heart].

There was not a shred of sympathy within Lucifer's voice. No hesitation, no remorse, and not even a sense of sadistic joy. This was just gathering resources to him. Nothing more, nothing less. Hejinmal shuddered as he came to understand just what kind of heartless monster he now served.

* * *

Momon's group continued to trek through a forest in the northern section of the Beastmen Country that shared its borders with the Troll Kingdom, which was at war with someone with this year's unlucky contestants being the City State Alliance, and further into the Beatmen Country, expecting to meet heavy resistance. However, they hadn't seen any beastmen for a while now. Cerebrate was becoming very frustrated that so many of the soldiers that had come with them were still alive. He wouldn't be able to murder Momon with these many prying eyes about. He would have to strike when nobody was paying attention. Cerebrate and his team bringing up the rear behind the remaining soldiers while Momon and Nabe rode Hamsuke up at the front. Cerebrate's teammates could tell by the way he kept glaring at Momon that he wanted to kill him. It wasn't as if they cared though. Each member of Crystal Tear was a scumbag in one way or another and they were each hated for what they had done. They had been bandits, thieves, killers, and one or two of them were just as bad as Cerebrate in regards to their "preferences". They liked Momon, but if Cerebrate tried to kill him they would have Cerebrate's back and by the look on his face he was going to make his move soon. As they delved deeper into the Beastmen Country, Momon suddenly raised a hand, signaling the convoy to stop.

"What is it Sir Momon?" one of the volunteer soldiers asked.

"Someone is coming," Momon grunted as he jumped down from Hamsuke and drew his massive swords. Everyone held their breath in anticipation and waited for the enemy. Instead of seeing anything that was particularly threatening, just a short Rabbitman who looked like she was so tired from running that she was ready to drop dead as she came out from behind a corner. Cerebrate's grinned lecherously at her as she bumped into Momon's leg without even realizing that she had just walked into a patrol of humans. Upon feeling her head bump into something hard, she looked up at Momon's towering form, shrieked, and jumped back a few a paces as her ears drooped to her sides.

"B-b-Black Death," she stammered as she stared fearfully up at Momon. The soldiers weren't sure what to make of this.

"Uh, should we attack or something?" another soldier asked.

"No. She is unarmed," Momon said as he sheathed his blades.

"Should we interrogate her? I bet I can make her talk," Cerebrate practically growled as he stared at her with lust in his eyes.

"You-you wouldn't hurt the messenger w-would you?" she asked as she silently berated herself for accepting this job. She wasn't a fighter!

"You called me the "Black Death". Do you know who I am?" Momon asked earning a frantic nod from the midget. "As long as you do not intend to cause trouble, neither I nor my comrades will hurt you. Now can you tell me who you are and who this message is for?" Momon asked, making Cerebrate glare at him now that he had been deprived of having his way with the beastmen.

"I-I am Lapin Shorn, messenger of Patriarch Archon, ruler of the Beastmen Country," Lapis responded hesitantly as she noticed the way Cerebrate kept looking at her. "I come bearing a message for the Immortal Emperor of the Eternal Empire. I have been tasked with establishing diplomatic relations with the Eternal Empire and appeal for peace treaty between our nations." The soldiers looked at one another in shock. They had been fighting the beastmen for a very long time now and they had never thought that the Beastmen Country would sue for peace.

"I am Momon, acting commander of the Eternal Empire's forces in this region," Momon said as he crossed his arms. "If it is peace you seek, my partner Nabe can escort you to our base of operations with the city of Lux. Everyone but Crystal Tear and I will accompany you back."

"Get on. If you fall off you'll be left behind, tick," Nabe growled from atop Hamsuke as Lapin struggled to climb onto the overgrown hamster.

"Cerebrate, you and your team should come with me to make sure this isn't some ploy to attack us when our guard is down," Momon suggested as the soldiers and the rest of Darkness headed back, leaving Momon and Crystal Tear all alone.

"Of course," Cerebrate smirked as he thought how this would be the perfect opportunity to kill Momon without any witnesses. After a few minutes of walking to make sure there were no enemies preparing to double back, Momon and Crystal Tear entered a secluded area where no would see them, even though it was doubtful that there was anyone here it made things even more convenient for Cerebrate. As he grinned thinking about how easy Momon was making this, Cerebrate and the rest of Crystal Tear drew their weapons and pointed them at Momon.

"Sorry about this Momon."

"I wish this didn't have to happen, but the team comes first."

"You've been cutting in on our turf."

"Meh."

"I hate goody-two-shoes like you!"

"You're such an idiot Momon," Cerebrate laughed. "Once, you're dead I'll be the only one they can call a hero, I'll get that cute Rabbitman all to myself, and you'll be forgotten."

"So, you followed me until I was in a secluded location to kill me?" Momon asked, apparently unconcerned with the situation.

"Yeah, pretty clever huh?" Cerebrate smirked.

"No, but it's ironic. After all, I led you to this secluded location to kill all of you as well. I suppose now I just have a better excuse as to why I killed you," Momon said coldly as he flourished his weapons. As the meaning behind his words dawned on them, Momon shot forward and a decapitated all of Cerebrate's teammates with a single sideways slash before they could even react. Celebrate panicked as he saw his comrades get killed as if they were the weakest of copper ranked adventurers. He turned around and tried to run away, desperate to get away from Momon.

"I'm going to get back to the Adventurers Guild and I'll tell them what you did!" Cerebrate cried as he latched onto the thought of getting all the other adventurers to team up against Momon. Of course, these hopes were dashed instantly when he felt cold steel slice through his legs. Cerebrate screamed in pain as he fell to the ground with the lower half of his legs missing. "YOU SUNUVA BITCH! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I'LL PAY YOU!" Momon didn't give any inclination that he was listening as he raised his metal boot over Cerebrate's head.

"All hail Lucifer Dracul," was all Momon said as he brought his foot down on the pedophile's skull, flattening it instantaneously. As he shook some of the gore of his boot, he turned to face the section of the forest where the Troll Kingdom was before pulling out a strange device he had been given by Jigsaw and, after double-checking to make sure no one was around, he chucked it deep into the woods. "Mein Führer will be most pleased," he said to himself with a sigh of satisfaction as the part of the forest he had thrown Jigsaw's device into began to burn, forming the beginning of a massive forest fire.

* * *

Within the Holy Palace of Roble, Demiurge was not in good mood. The corpses were being sent to the Deadhouse at an astonishing rate, Queen Hope was dead, and the two he wanted to escape to plead for help had done exactly as he had hoped. So why was he in such a foul mood? The items that concerned him the most, Loginus and the World Savior, were nowhere to be found. The World Savior had been with the Dark Elf King but his body had not been recovered so the logical conclusion was that he was still alive within this hell on earth Demiurge had created and Loginus was supposed to be somewhere in the palace but its location had thus far evaded him. They had already checked every location of importance within the city, but it was as if Loginus had disappeared completely. Either someone had moved it somewhere where Demiurge would not expect it to look, someone had stolen it in the chaos, or it had been taken out of the city when Angela and Roman escaped. If it was in the city, he had to find it and present it to his master.

"Where is that elf?" he muttered to himself as he put on his Jaldabaoth mask and messaged his master.

[My lord?]

[Yes Demiurge?]

[I thought you would like a status report. We are collecting corpses by the hundreds and sending them to Jigsaw. However, the location of WCIs is currently unknown.]

[Unfortunate. The least we can hope for is that someone already used them and made them disappear. At most, I would like them for Nazarick. However, the important thing is to ensure that they won't be used against us.]

[As you say my lord. Those who escaped, Angela Pious and Minister Roman, are expected to arrive within the territory of the Eternal Empire ahead of schedule, so I recommend wrapping up the situations in the Draconic Kingdom and the Dwarf Kingdom as soon as possible.]

[Understood. Keep me appraised of the situation. I will be done here in the Dwarf Kingdom shortly.] With those final orders given, the connection was terminated and Demiurge went back to ordering the demons about.

"Move quickly! If this illusion magic isn't ready by the time our lord arrives then our entire operation is compromised!" Demiurge shouted. He had five pillars to build and an illusion spell to mask the [Gate] they had deployed.

* * *

Lucifer swaggered into the Council chamber to find one less dwarf than last time awaiting him. Judging by the smells that were present, it was the Forgemaster who was missing. After the dwarves finished their long and drawn-out thanks for reclaiming Feo Berkana, to which Lucifer gave a pleasant smile but wasn't really listening to, the Commander in Chief spoke up.

"There is another matter which we must discuss with you, your majesty," he said hesitantly. "The ingot you entrusted to us has been stolen by the Forgemaster who has fled the nation. We are currently searching for him be we have had no luck in finding him. Your majesty had given us that ingot and your trust but we allowed an incident like this to occur. We don't know where to begin apologizing." Lucifer frowned slightly when he heard this. The ingot hadn't been that valuable to him, and to be perfectly honest he had given the Forgemaster that ingot in the first place because he knew that the dwarf wouldn't be able to fulfil his request and it would drive him mad when he had to apologize to an undead. It would appear that the Forgemaster was either a drama queen, mentally ill, or an idiot.

"I see. This is most unfortunate," Lucifer stated as he swept his soulless eyes over the remaining dwarves, making them break out in a cold sweat.

"W-we can provide you majesty with three sets of adamantite chainmail armor as compensation," the Merchant's Guildmaster stuttered out an offer.

"I will accept that but there is something else that I would like in addition to the armor," Lucifer said, firmly reminding himself of the schedule he had to keep to in order to secure the Beastmen Country and the Holy Kingdom. He wouldn't be able to ask for too much as that might make people catch on to the fact that his benevolence was an act and since he honestly didn't care about that ingot he didn't feel like asking for much anyway.

"What- what would that be?" the Brewmaster asked nervously.

"I would appreciate your assistance in the matter pertaining to the runesmiths," Lucifer stated. "Would you mind holding a ceremony and making a public announcement about the runesmiths coming to work in my empire?" Lucifer asked, not really caring if they agreed or not. "I think it would make them feel better if they knew that they weren't being sold to me but were instead being hired by me." The dwarves nodded, seeing this as very reasonable. "Good. My nation will handle the matter of catering, but I'm afraid I will not be able to attend the ceremony itself. I have an important meeting with a foreign diplomat later this afternoon. I hope you understand."

"Of course your majesty," the Commander in Chief replied. "We understand that you're a busy man."

"My thanks, Commander in Chief," Lucifer said with a nod. "I will leave my daughter Shalltear behind as a representative of the Eternal Empire on my behalf."

"Very well. Until we meet again Immortal Emperor," the Commander in Chief said with a bow. As soon as Lucifer was out of the building, he snuck over to the side of the building where no one was present before casting a spell.

"[Summon Baskervilles]," Lucifer commanded, summoning six black dogs, each with six red eyes and a mouth full of fangs. "There is a dwarf who has stolen from me. You already know his scent from my memories, now hunt him down." Upon being given their orders, the Baskervilles began sniffing around until they caught his scent and began racing down a tunnel. There was no way the Forgemaster would escape from this.

* * *

Sebas, Princess Renner, Marquis Raeven, Brain, Climb, Freddon, and all the members of Blue Rose except Tia and Tina, who were in the makeshift infirmary, were gathered in Duke Kado's estate which was now the heavily fortified command center of the National Liberation Party. They were in Sebas' office going over a map of Re-Estize.

"A frontal assault would result in heavy casualties," Freddon said as he pointed at the gates. "Ritton's paranoia has reached an all-time high and because of Zanac's fear of losing the throne, he's been letting Ritton do pretty much whatever he wants."

"Maybe we could find a way to sneak into the city undetected before launching our assault?" Climb suggested.

"No. They're bound to notice the sudden increase in people and would be on high alert," Renner interjected.

"Our best chance is to garner military support from another country. Most likely the Eternal Empire," Raeven mused.

"Are you really comfortable working with the undead?" Gargan asked with narrowed eyes.

"Not particularly. However, the Immortal Emperor has been sending us provisional support and has sent a team of specialists to assist us," Sebas replied. "They were sent to gather intelligence in Re-Lobell and they should be back soon."

"We also need to make sure neither Zanac nor Ritton manage to escape," Brain stated. "We would need to hit the palace as quickly as possible and secure all entrances and exits to prevent them from escaping. When we hit them, it will have to be quick and brutal."

"The best spot to break into the city would be the Market District. People never finished repairing the place after Jaldabaoth's attack," Lakyus suggested.

"Speaking of Jaldabaoth, I have some intriguing new," a new voice spoke up. Everyone looked up from the map to see Zur enter the room. Gargan immediately went for her war pick but was stopped by Sebas.

"It's alight. He's with us," Sebas declared before anyone could do anything stupid. "This is the man in charge of the Eternal Empire's provisional support-"

"Zur," Evileye spoke up as she stared at her old friend. The two exchanged a silent look that said "we'll talk later" before turning back to the others.

"Jaldabaoth has struck again, but this time he's not attacking villages," Zur informed them. "Re-Lobell is full of refuges from the Holy Kingdom who sought to escape him. He has taken over the Holy City of Roble itself where it sounds as if he is enacting some sort of ritual." Everyone looked at one another with wide eyes, murmuring about this turn of events until Sebas regained their attention by clapping his hands.

"Although I know that our goal is to end the monarchy of the Re-Estize Kingdom, since we have several veterans of the Demonic Disturbance here I believe it is our duty to assist in this matter," Sebas proclaimed. "I will not require anyone to come with me, but a helping hand would be most welcome."

"I'm with ya old man!" Freddon shouted.

"We need to teach that demon a lesson!" the members of Blue Rose proclaimed.

"I'm coming too Sebas!" Climb declared.

"If the kid is going then I guess I'm going too," Brain smirked. Sebas nodded in thanks to each of them before he turned to those who remained.

"Marquis Raeven, I know I have asked much of you but can you please tend to things here while I am away?" Sebas asked.

"Of course. I will do my part," Raeven swore.

"Zur, please protect Princess Renner and the others while we are gone," Climb pleaded.

"I will be my pleasure," Zur replied as he crossed his arms.

"Then I suggest everyone make their preparations. We will be leaving within the hour," Sebas stated. As everyone began preparing for what lied ahead, Evileye and Zur remained in the meeting room in order to have a private conversation.

"So, you're working for the Immortal Emperor now?" Evileye asked, deciding that was a good place to start.

"Our goals are aligned, so yes," Zur confirmed.

"You do realize that your organization, Zuranon, has caused a lot of trouble, right?"

"Yes. Those were extremists for the most part who took things too far," Zur lied.

"Why did you found that organization anyway? What was the point?"

"Do you remember when we went into hiding after our time with the Thirteen Heroes? No one would acknowledge the good we had done because we were undead freaks. They were happy to have us while their world was in danger, but the moment the crisis had passed we were evil monsters again and no one would acknowledge the good we've done. I refuse to live in a world where I can't walk down a street without someone calling the guards because they think I'm about to start a massacre."

"Zur, you know that's just how things are. The undead will always be hated and feared because the unintelligent ones do nothing but kill humans. It's the way the world works."

"Then the way the world works is wrong!" Zur spat. "I don't care what I have to do or who I have to serve! Lucifer Dracul has promised us a world where we can walk amongst the living and be a part of society."

"But the way you're going about this is wrong!" Evileye yelled. "This isn't the right way to do things!"

"The right way takes too long!" Zur snarled. The two of them descended into silence when they noticed that people who passing by started looking at them. "How's Rigrit and the Platinum Dragon Lord?" he asked, deciding to drop the previous subject.

"Last I heard they were working with some swordsman and the Agrand Council Alliance to try to do something about Lucifer Dracul because they're convinced that he's evil."

"And what do you think of him?"

"I don't know," Evileye sighed.

* * *

It had taken a few hours, but because they hadn't had to worry about any beastmen attacks on their way back to the Lux, Nabe, Hamsuke, Lapin, and the remaining soldiers arrived at the Draconic Palace without incident. The first thing Lapin had noticed when they entered the city was the lack of Draconic Kingdom banners on display. They had been replaced by dark red banners that depicted fanged skulls with bat wings sprouting from the sides of their heads all colored in black. The part that absolutely terrified her were the countless undead soldiers marching throughout the city. When Hamsuke stopped in front of the Draconic Palace's entrance, Nabe practically kicked Lapin off.

"Go, rodent. Lady Albedo is waiting for you," Nabe informed her gruffly as she galloped off on Hamsuke.

"Meanie," Lapin muttered as she entered the palace.

"Young miss," a raspy voice called causing Lapin to spin around to come face to face with an Elder Lich. "Please follow me. This humble servant will lead you to Lady Albedo." Lapin only nodded weakly as she began to worry what kind of monster this Albedo person would be. After being led past what was practically an army of Death Knights, Lapin found herself in front of the entrance to what used to be the throne room. "Lady Albedo is the second in command of the Eternal Empire and is the bearer of our emperor's child. Show respect." And with that warning given, the Elder Lich opened the doors and ushered Lapin inside. Sitting upon the former queen's throne was Albedo being guarded by two Dark Paladins. Lapin was pleasantly surprised by the fat that not only was Albedo not monstrous, but she was very beautiful which set her at ease. Well, a little bit anyway.

"Come in," Albedo called sweetly to the small Rabbitman. Lapin, despite her fear, was filled with purpose as she knew that her country's future could very well be decided in this room. She approached until she was within an acceptable distance and bowed. "I am the Immortal Empress Albedo Dracul," Albedo introduced herself, masking her giddiness that her lord had allowed her to call herself that during the party at Nazarick.

"I-it's an honor to meet you empress," Lapin stuttered out, feeling chills go up her spine under Albedo's cold gaze. "I am Lapin Shorn. I have come on behalf of Patriarch Archon to discuss an end to hostilities between the Beastmen Country and the Eternal Empire."

"Very well," Albedo grinned. "We shall arrange a meeting between your leader and my husband, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, for this evening."

* * *

Another patrol of demons was coming up the street. There wasn't any visual confirmation yet, but they could hear the demons' jeering coming closer. Vega and three other Dark Elves were breaking into a house from the backyard in an attempt to hide. Much like they had done all the other times they hid, someone kept watch at the window while the others searched the place for anything useful. Food, water, potions, magic items, armor, anything. This time, it was Vega's turn to watch the window. He still didn't see the demons, but he could hear them getting closer.

"You got two minutes tops before they get here," he growled. "You know what to do once they do." The other two nodded and continued to search the building. As Vega stared outside the window, something caught his eye. Outside on the corpse covered street, there was a little human child trying to get out from under his dead mother. Vega winced as he saw this. He knew how it felt to lose one's mother. His attention was immediately diverted from the ominous glow growing at the end of the street. The demons were coming closer. His gaze kept darting from the boy who was bound to be seen to the approaching demons who would kill him if they found him.

 _What do I care? Humans are monsters and that's all they'll ever be._

Even as he thought that, he knew he was lying to himself. After what he had seen these demons do, he could never call humans monsters again. Not after he had been shown what true monsters were. Vega let out an exasperated sigh before he darted out the door to help the kid.

"Your highness, what are you doing?" one of the Dark Elves whispered harshly, but Vega didn't pay any attention.

 _I've gotta be out of my fucking mind._

With that thought in his head, he pulled the boy out from his mother, picked him up, and darted back into the house just in time as the demons rounded the corner and marched down the street with a massive wagon. After about twenty minutes of loading all the bodies onto the wagon, they took off down the street again looking for more corpses. The moment they were out of sight, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Your majesty, why did you save this human?" one of his subordinates asked as the little boy stared fearfully at the elves.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the humans aren't our enemy at the moment," Vega sighed as he set the kid down and crouched in front of him. "What's your name child?"

"K-Koir," the kid stammered as he stared into Vega's heterochromatic eyes.

"Stay close to me and I'll keep you safe," Vega said as he offered Koir his hand. With a little hesitation, Koir took Vega's hand and allowed Vega to carry him on his back. "We need to keep moving. If we see any other survivors be they Dark Dwarf, human, orc, ogre, goblin, or one of us, we help them. There is safety in numbers and cooperation is our best chance of getting out of here alive." His subjects looked at one another with odd expressions for a moment before turning back to their king and nodding.

* * *

Archon sat patiently at an elegant table in the middle of a field. Next to him was the nervous, as usual, Lapin and behind him were thousands of beastmen ready to attack if this was and serve as intimidation against the other side. On the other side of the table stood a single maid with an eyepatch and an expressionless face. Archon scoffed at the arrogance of this Immortal Emperor, who seemed to be so sure of himself even with no forces attending this meeting but a maid. It was laughable. Finally, after what seemed like hours, a swarm of bats appeared and flew towards the table. Once they were close enough to the table, the bats started merging together until all of the bats were gone and were replaced by a tall man with soulless red eyes. Archon stiffened under the man's gaze and could feel the pure power radiating from him but kept his composure. Lapin on the other hand had curled up into a ball and started shaking while her ears covered her face.

 _C'mon, I'm not that scary._

"I presume that you are Archon?" Lucifer stated more than asked in order to break the silence as he took a seat.

"Yes, I am the Patriarch of the Beastmen Country," Archon confirmed.

"Wonderful. I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul. Now I have a meeting with another diplomat today so for the sake of time could you please tell me what it is you seek to accomplish from these negotiations?" Lucifer asked, getting straight to the point.

"I would like to cease hostilities between our two nations and ask for your assistance in eliminating the Draconic Kingdom. I of course will share a portion of the land with you in return," Archon replied. "In addition, I have three hundred humans who I can offer to you as slaves. So, shall we make a deal?"

"You seem to be mistaken as to whose land you've been invading," Lucifer smirked. "The Draconic Kingdom no longer exists. In return for saving her citizens, Queen Draudillon has handed what is left of her nation to me which means you've been attacking MY land. If you bothered to keep up with politics as is your duty as a nation's ruler, you would know this." Archon gulped as he felt the sinking sensation of walking into a trap. "Furthermore, slavery is banned in my country so I cannot accept slaves."

"But they are merely humans. They do not-"

"Human or nonhuman, living or dead. It makes no difference to me," Lucifer interrupted. "I'm not here to agree to a peace treaty. I'm here for your surrender."

"WHAT!?" Archon bellowed. "I know that you have a Soul Eater and that your military may be strong, but even with that you do not have the power to conquer this nation! Give me one good reason why I should hand my country over to you!" Lucifer rolled his eyes and activated a [Message] spell.

[Omega, please send the troops over as we discussed.]

[Yes my lord!]

"How about I give you five hundred reasons?" Lucifer asked with an evil grin. A [Gate] opened behind him and an army stepped forth from the swirling blackness. Archon nor any of the beastmen could believe what had just emerged. Lapin had peaked from under the and promptly fainted upon seeing those monsters. Archon didn't know what the monsters wielding swords and shields were, but he recognized what they were riding instantaneously. As a matter of fact, every single beastman assembled here knew what those were.

"SOUL EATERS!?" countless beastmen screamed. Five hundred Death Knights riding Soul Eaters had appeared from the darkness and had assembled behind their master.

"Last time I checked, your country is very familiar with what these creatures can do. Or do you need history to repeat itself on a massive scale?" Lucifer taunted. Archon felt like he was going to throw up. A mere three Soul Eaters had decimated their capitol city last time, if five hundred of those monsters were unleashed they could wipe out all life on the planet. "Unless you don't want these Soul Eaters to reduce your county to an undead spawning ground, you will do as I say."

"What are your terms?" Archon asked with a sigh now that all hope had left him.

"Your immediate and unconditional surrender," Lucifer dictated as he smiled coldly at the terrified beastmen. "The Beastmen Country, its lands, its resources, and its citizens will all be dissolved into to the Eternal Empire effective immediately. You will cease your attacks against humans, you will release all of your captives to me, your soldiers will be put to work reconstructing the cities you've devastated, and you will all bow to me and acknowledge me as your Immortal Emperor and your god."

"Yes, my lord," Archon replied bitterly as he kneeled before his new undead master. Lucifer grinned as the other beastmen took notice of their leader's posture and bowed before their emperor.

* * *

The people of E-Rantel had finally begun to relax around the Death Knights and other undead creatures. Their emperor had been true to his word in all the things he had declared and although they still had doubts as to whether or not he was a benevolent ruler they at least knew that he was an emperor who kept his promises, which was more than they could say for many other rulers. The Adventurers' Guild was not the ghost town it used to be. Lucifer's proposal to create true adventurers caught the attention of many who sought to discover the unknown. Ainzach and Avenir had been going over blueprints for some of the new additions to the building when they heard a crash outside.

"What the hell was that?" Ainzach yelled as he stood up from his chair.

"I don't know but I think we should take a look," Avenir commented as she ran outside, closely followed by Ainzach. Outside, a large crowd had gathered around a crushed wagon. Why was the wagon crushed? Probably because of the exhausted hippogriff that had crash-landed on it. Avenir glanced to check if the Death Knights were standing by if things got out of hand and, sure enough, saw eight Death Knights and a Skull Knight assembled nearby in case they were needed. On top of the hippogriff was an unconscious woman with golden yellow hair and a man in white robes who looked like all he was desperately trying to keep himself from falling asleep.

"My name is Roman, Minister of the Holy Kingdom. I request an audience with his majesty, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul," Roman blurted out tiredly before promptly passing out.

* * *

Bonus Story: Oblivious Corvo

Corvo let out an exhausted sigh as he finally laid his hand on the doorknob to Jessamine's house. He couldn't actually get tired since he was undead, but it was a habit he picked up from his master. He opened the door as he rubbed his eyes and called out.

"Jessamine! I'm back! You haven't gotten stuck in your closet again have you-" he abruptly stopped when he opened his eyes and saw Jessamine in front of him using the ultimate weapon of any stereotypical anime: the naked apron.

"Welcome back Corvo!" she exclaimed in her typical way-too- happy manner. "Would you like something to eat? Would you like to have a bath? Or would you like to have….. me?" Corvo simply stared at her with the same grumpy expression he always had on his face, unable to understand why she was doing this.

"I would appreciate something to eat," Corvo deadpanned.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to have me?" Jessamine asked as she wrapped her arms around Corvo's neck, who merely tilted his head innocently in response to her question.

"I'm quite certain that eating you would be detrimental to your health," Corvo asked with a genuinely confused look on his face.

"Never mind," Jessamine sighed. "Go upstairs and bathe and I'll make something to eat." Corvo nodded in understanding and headed upstairs. The moment he was out of sight, Jessamine banged her head on the wall and groaned. "Why did I have to fall in love with an idiot?"

* * *

 **I spent the past few days watching over my little cousins. Watching over those midgets is a bitch. I'm tired as a motherfucker. BTW Omega is an actual member of the Pleiades, not an OC.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	30. Knightfall

Chapter 29: Knightfall

Angela drowsily opened her eyes as she awoke on what definitely wasn't the hippogriff. As she groggily sat up. She didn't know where she was or what was going on. She turned to her right to see that she was in a small but comfortable room, most likely a bedroom within a palace or mansion. She looked to her left to see….

"By the gods!" she screamed as she fell out of bed. The Death Knight that had been standing next to her bed only continued to stare down at her, completely unperturbed by the Valkyrie's reaction. As Angela scrambled across the room to try to put some distance between her and the hulking undead, the door opened and Minister Roman entered the room.

"Good morning Lady Angela. I'm glad to see you're awake," Roman said.

"Roman! What the hell is this thing?" Angela demanded.

"It is one of the Eternal Empire's undead legionnaires known as a Death Knight. He has thousands of these things patrolling his territory," Roman replied, causing Angela to go pale at the thought of thousands of legendary undead creatures walking about.

"Wait, you said that they serve the Eternal Empire. So we made it?" Angela stated more than asked.

"Yes milady. We've been here for two days now waiting for you to wake up. You never fully recovered from the injuries you sustained from your fight with Jaldabaoth and in all of the excitement of the attack on Roble, you appeared to have gone into shock," Roman reported solemnly. "On the upside, we have made contact with the Immortal Emperor and have been granted an audience." Angela rose to her feet and straightened herself out, taking notice of the fact that someone changed her clothes.

"Roman, who changed my clothes?" Angela growled as she tried to hide her blush.

"Lucifer Dracul himself tended to your clothing, milady." Angela fumed at the thought of some lecherous vampire putting his filthy undead hands on her. She pushed Roman out, quickly got dressed while making sure the Death Knight couldn't see her, and headed out into the streets of E-Rantel with Roman at her side. The city was practically unrecognizable from when it was a part of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Angela hated to admit it, but the city had flourished under the rule of the detestable vampire. The citizens all seemed to trust the ruler, which said something about Lucifer's appeal, and there was no crime with the Death Knights patrolling the streets. Who would risk pissing off one of those things? Angela felt as though she could take them on, but without her wings she as crippled and her abilities were diminished.

"Roman, what do we know about the Immortal Emperor? What is he like?" Angela asked as she and Roman continued to walk the streets towards the Eternal Empire's E-Rantel Embassy.

"He appears to be have strong dislike of slavery as well as killing for religious reasons and considers them to be criminal acts," Roman began, causing her to wince since those were two things that the Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy committed on an almost daily basis. "He has eradicated nobility throughout all the land he's seized, treated all his citizens as equals, and has established churches that worship him as the God of Life and Death where Elder Liches provide healing free of charge making the churches that are dedicated to the Six Great Gods obsolete. Between one who provides healing for free and one who charges to heal, Lord Dracul has made himself out to be more benevolent than our own gods and appears to be trying to make the people view him as the one true god."

"Blasphemy," Angela growled. "What are the priests doing about this?"

"Once people started leaving their churches in favor of the Antichrist's, some of them tried to assassinate Lucifer, which obviously didn't end well, while others left to go to the Theocracy," Roman informed her. "They seek to aid the Theocracy when they inevitably go to war with the Eternal Empire."

"Why do the people not rebel against Lucifer?" Angela muttered.

"It appears to have something to do with the Dark Knight Momon," Roman replied as finally entered the embassy. "He and the Immortal Emperor seemed to have worked out some sort of arrangement to keep the peace. Additionally, Lucifer Dracul doesn't seem to care if you're human or nonhuman, alive or undead, rich or poor, he doesn't even seem to care if people really do worship him or not. He simply leaves them the option to do so which, might I add, no other religion would ever be okay with. The people view him as the hero who saved them from the nobles and gave them the freedom to choose. Either he really does care about his people or he set up all these scenarios to make himself look like the hero, which is a much more alarming concept than the other." Angela shuddered at the thought of Lucifer orchestrating everything. "Either way, once we've saved our people, I think I might move here."

"WHAT!?" Angela screeched. "Why would you willingly go to live under an undead king?"

"The Eternal Empire is the single safest place to live now," Roman shrugged. "The way things were looking back in Roble, we may not even have a country to go back to and even if we do who knows what Lucifer Dracul will ask in exchange for assisting us."

"He said he would assist us in the letter he sent!" Angela interjected.

"He said he would assist in hunting down Jaldabaoth, he never said anything about retaking our country which is now effectively in the hands of a demon. You and your sister promptly ignored his offer and politically told him to shove it. Don't tell me that you didn't think that wouldn't have repercussions, did you? Who knows how badly we've offended his majesty," Roman said coldly as he shot a glare at Angela. "You've always exceled in the art of combat and beating your opponents into submission, but politics are not your strong suite. Your sister was the same way. She was an excellent religious figure and leader, but her isolationist ideals have always harmed us in the long run. I've been a minister for decades ma'am and I've come to realize when to hang onto something and when to bail out. The situation in the Holy Kingdom is most likely beyond repair and I intend to do what I've always done: survive." Angela could only stare at the minister in disbelief. Had he always been like this or had the situation changed him?

"Excuse me," a nearby Elder Lich rasped from behind them. "The Immortal Emperor is ready for you. Please follow me," he commanded more than asked as he moved in front of them and led them to his master's office. The room was much plainer than Roman or Angela had been expecting apart from the banners that hung from the walls, an office desk, and a few chairs. Within the room was a pregnant woman with black wings that Angela couldn't help but glare at since those wings were like a mockery of what Jaldabaoth had taken from her and a tall man with a red high collar cloak who had his back turned to them.

"Have a seat," the man commanded coldly. Angela and Roman complied and sat down in the comfortable chairs in front of the desk. Once they did, the man turned around and faced them making Angela and Roman stiffen. He was death given human form. "I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul. It is a pleasure to meet you," he said as he sat down. "I take it Jaldabaoth has taken over the Holy City of Roble?"

"Y-yes your majesty," Angela stuttered as she tried to recall how her sister used to handle these matters. "We were hoping that your offer to assist us in the matter concerning Jaldabaoth is still open. If so, we would like to ask for your assistance now."

"When I offered you my help, you outright refused any assistance," Lucifer replied dismissively. "You denied my assistance and allowed the situation to get out of control leading to the current crisis. This problem you find yourselves in is entirely self-inflicted." Angela grimaced as she was not used to such harsh words or being reprimanded altogether. She wanted to yell at him for his condescending attitude towards a divine being but she knew that he didn't care about divinity and that throwing a fit would only make things worse.

"I have no excuse for our actions. We were arrogant and shortsighted," Angela said as she bowed her head, restraining herself from losing her temper. "We would be very grateful if you could find it in your heart to forgive our foolishness and see fit to help save our people."

"I don't have a heart, but that is off topic," Lucifer responded coldly. "If you truly do desire the assistance of the Eternal Empire, then I will require something in return." Angela looked up with a hopeful expression while Roman's face had a "here it comes" look on it. "The entire Holy Kingdom's territory shall be dissolved into the Eternal Empire's as well as its citizens, currency, resources, and any other items of note. Once this is over, there will be no Holy Kingdom of Roble since it's obvious you people can't be trusted to handle your own affairs." Angela looked like she was about to explode and opened her mouth to yell….

"We accept your majesty," Roman said before Angela threw away their people's only lifeline, causing her to glare at him.

"Wunderbar- I mean, wonderful. The Eternal Empire is eager to welcome you into its arms," Lucifer smirked. "My forces will be ready to deploy within two days. Until then, you may stay here."

"WHAT!?" Angela exclaimed. "The longer we're here the more of our people die!"

"If we go there unprepared the number of deaths will only go up and make the situation worse. We need to ensure we have what we need to succeed," Lucifer stated calmly. "Now is there anything else, Ms. Pious?"

"Yes," she huffed. "I was told that you are the one who removed my clothes and redressed me. What perverted things did you do to my heavenly body?" she demanded, not noticing Albedo's sudden twitch.

"Absolutely nothing and I am offended that you would assume that I did such things," Luicfer replied dismissively. "To accuse the leader of a country with something so vulgar is quite serious and your response to immediately assume I did anything reflects hostility as well as a lack of maturity which makes you highly unattractive and an annoyance to be around and sexual interest in you or any other mortal is completely nonexistent. Lastly, I am married to the woman you've been repeatedly glaring at throughout this meeting which implies that I am a lecherous fool. Lastly, and this simply my own personal opinion, Albedo is much more attractive than you. Now please remove yourself from my office." Albedo puffed her chest out and smirked triumphantly when she heard that .Angela glared at him for a few moments before speaking.

"Thank you for your time, your majesty," she growled through gritted teeth before turning around and storming out with a huff. Roman sighed and followed her out. The moment the doors shut behind them, she started ranting about how horrible Lucifer is, how dare he speak in such a manner to her, how it's impossible to not lust after an angelic being such as herself, how can he prefer that demon woman over me, blablablabla.

 _Stop acting like a spoiled child! Honestly, you and your sister's pride has been overinflated for far too long. It's about time someone knocked you down a peg. My only hope is that this becomes a valuable learning experience and that you may deflate your head a bit._

Roman didn't really listen to her at all until she finally got around to the parts that were actually important such as the situation

"I can't believe him! Doesn't he know how serious this is?" Angela seethed.

"He probably does and that's why he doesn't want to leave anything to chance," Roman, ever the voice of reason, sighed. That made Angela calm down a bit, but did not make her feel any better.

"What should we do?" Angela asked as she held a hand up to her head. "Every minute we spend here is another minute of our people dying."

"I believe I can help," a deep, heroic voice called out as someone approached them from ehind an archway. He was huge! He was covered in dark armor, wore a crimson cloak, and had two massive swords on his back.

"And you are?" Angela asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"I am Momon, the Immortal Emperor's personal bodyguard and unofficial enforcer," Momon introduced himself. Angela's eyes widened for a moment as she recalled what she had heard about him. This was the man who had beaten Jaldabaoth, the demon who even she the Valkyrie Knight couldn't beat. Angela may have been prideful but she wasn't so foolish as to not recognize the strength of a fellow warrior and this one had quite the reputation.

"Dark Knight Momon, I've heard a lot about you and would be grateful for any assistance you can provide," Angela greeted.

"I'm glad to hear that ma'am. Although I'm I don't think it would be safe to begin an attack on the Holy City, I think it would be prudent to establish a forward command center from which we can organize our counterattack," Momon said. "I know milord ordered us to remain here, but I defeated Jaldabaoth before and I can do it again."

* * *

"So those fools from the Holy Kingdom are finally getting what they deserve," the Cardinal of Light sneered. "That's what they get for seceding from the Slane Theocracy."

"Although I agree that they never should've seceded over that disagreement regarding Zesshi, that hardly warrants a demon invasion, Yvon," the Cardinal of Fire frowned.

"I agree with Berenice. The loss of so many human lives to Jaldabaoth is a tragedy," the Cardinal of Water said with a nod.

"What! Sympathizing with the enemy….. have you all turned traitor?" the Cardinal of Light spat. "AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS REMAINED LOYAL TO OUR GODS!?"

"You are a fool," the Cardinal of Darkness growled, causing the Cardinal of Light to glare at him. "Despite our disagreements with the Holy Kingdom of Roble, they are not our enemy. Our only true enemies are the Eternal Empire and the Agrand Council Alliance. You need to get your priorities straight, especially now with the Draconic Kingdom AND the Beastmen Country joining the Immortal Emperor. Not to mention the rumors of some alliance with the Dwarf Kingdom."

"Indeed," Maximus sighed, ignoring the Cardinal of Light's muttering about how he couldn't trust anyone. "The Six Great Gods trusted humanity with the noble task of eliminating Lucifer Dracul and thus until that monster is dead nothing else matters."

"However, this Holy Kingdom incident could be a blessing in disguise," the Cardinal of Wind smirked.

"How so?" the Cardinal of Earth asked.

"When the Holy Kingdom seceded from the Theocracy, they took the holy relic, Loginus, from us," the Cardinal of Wind explained. "As some of you may recall, it had the ability to kill any being without fail. Even our gods feared its power according to the ancient texts. If this item is so powerful that our gods feared it, then I am quite certain that it should be capable of destroying Lucifer Dracul." The other cardinals nodded and muttered amongst themselves until the Cardinal of Darkness clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"I believe that it is prudent to reacquire Loginus for our fight against the Immortal Emperor," he announced. "If we offer to assist the Holy Kingdom in return for them giving us Loginus, we can secure our ultimate weapon to use against Lucifer Dracul."

"What about Downfall of Castle, Country or the Wrath of God, or Ahura Mazda?" the Cardinal of Earth asked.

"As demonstrated in the battle between the Black Scripture and the Immortal Emperor, it is possible to avoid Downfall of Castle and Country just like that vampire, who we have now identified as Shalltear Bloodfallen, had done when the Black Scripture attacked. This is also not the first time an incident like this has happened. Decades hence we had attempted to use it on the Platinum Dragon Lord and it failed for reasons unknown," the Cardinal of Darkness explained. "Wrath of God will summon forth an army of powerful angels but with the Immortal Emperor's army we have no idea how they will fare against the legions of the undead while Ahura Mazda's targeting parameters are too unclear and it is to be used only if we ever have to wipe the slate clean. Our best bet is to acquire Loginus and strike when the time is right."

"Then it's settled," Maximus declared. "We shall offer our assistance to the Holy Kingdom of Roble in exchange for Loginus."

"I'm afraid they are not likely to accept our offer your holiness," a new voice commented. Everyone turned towards the entrance to see Nigun enter the room. "Nigun, I trust you have a good reason to enter this sacred room without permission?"

"Yes your holiness," Nigun replied as he kneeled. "The Cardinal of Darkness instructed me to inform him immediately upon Sir Attano's return." The Cardinal of Darkness immediately straightened up upon hearing that his agent has returned.

"When did he get back?" he inquired.

"Last night your holiness," Nigun reported. "He filled out a report that I have been reviewing before he returned to Captain Ruvik."

"What information has he gathered and what does this have to with the Holy Kingdom not accepting our offer?" Maximus demanded.

"Representatives from the Holy Kingdom arrived in E-Rantel recently and demanded an audience with the Immortal Emperor," Nigun said. "There can be only one reason they would break their isolationist stance and go to an undead ruler…"

"Those bastards want help from the Immortal Emperor!" the Cardinal of Light shrieked.

"Maximillian, Raymond, and Yvon! You are to take the Black Scripture and a battalion of troops to "assist" in freeing Roble from Jaldabaoth!" Maximus ordered before smirking. "If Loginus just so happens to disappear while we are there then we will blame the Eternal Empire for the theft of their holy relic."

"Yes your holiness," the Cardinals of Light, Earth, and Darkness replied as they bowed.

"Very good. This session is hereby dismissed," Maximus declared. With the cardinals filing out, the Cardinal of Darkness grabbed the Cardinal of Earth and pulled him aside.

"Raymond my friend, I need to ask you something," the Cardinal of Darkness started.

"What is it?" Earth asked his elder, slightly concerned by the tone he was taking.

"Have you noticed anything wrong with Yvon?" the Cardinal of Darkness asked. The Cardinal of Earth looked over at the Cardinal of Light and watched his mannerisms as he conversed with the Archbishop.

"I see. He seems more fidgety than usual," the Cardinal of Earth said.

"Not just that but have you seen that look in his eyes?"

"Yes. I've seen that look in the eyes of many before: angry paranoia mixed with borderline insanity."

"Exactly," the Cardinal of Darkness said with a nod. "He's losing it. Every time we have a meeting concerning Lucifer Dracul it gets a little worse. Up until that monster appeared, his way was what tended to go with. All the old ways and our usual methods will prove fruitless against the Antichrist and he can't accept that. In his mind not just the Theocracy blessed by the gods, which makes him believe us to be invincible, he believes that he specifically is blessed, chosen by the gods. He sees himself as the most important and powerful person in the room at all times. He's always been a narcissist, but with Lucifer upsetting the natural order we have worked hard to upkeep Yvon's delusions are getting worse. He's becoming paranoid to the point he doesn't even trust his fellow cardinals and I'm afraid that he may do something incredibly foolish that will hurt the Theocracy beyond repair."

"You're not suggesting that we kill him, are you Maximilian?" the Cardinal of Earth asked with wide eyes.

"No. By the gods no," the Cardinal of Darkness sighed. "Just keep an eye on him." The Cardinal of Earth nodded in understanding and walked off. The Cardinal of Darkness held his hand to his face as he felt a headache coming on.

* * *

"They're gone," Albedo said as she watched Momon, the emissaries of the Holy Kingdom, and several other people leave E-Rantel on dragonback. The moment Lucifer heard this his body morphed and shuddered until Pandora's Actor stood in his place.

"Durch das oberste wesen that was stressful!" Pandora's Actor cired. "Do you think I did an acceptable job portraying our lord, Albedo?"

"I think you preformed our master adequately," Albedo replied pleasantly.

"Ah! Danke fraulein!" Pandora's Actor exclaimed with a bow. "If you will excuse me, our Führer will require my presence in the Holy Kingdom!" With that, Pandora's Actor grabbed a dark green potion that was hidden behind the desk, jumped out the window, turned into a bird, and flew off towards the Holy Kingdom, leaving Albedo alone in office.

"Well, I suppose I should begin organizing the troops," she hummed happily.

* * *

The Dragon Lords of the Agrand Council Alliance had gathered in a massive building that was big enough for a dozen dragons. Thankfully, there were only five dragon councilors so there was no trouble fitting into the room.

Suveria, the Blue Sky Dragon Lord. He was an average sized dragon with royal blue colored scales and handled domestic affairs.

Cythonan, the Obsidian Dragon Lord. He was large, even among dragons, and covered in rough dark purple scales with several obsidian spike protruding from his back. He was tasked with handling commerce, trade, and other financial matters in the Agrand Council Alliance.

Eserth, the Green Crystal Dragon Lord. She was slim had smooth light green scales. She was in charge of foreign affairs and diplomacy.

Gorsis, the Red Sigil Dragon Lord. He was covered in pointed crimson scales and smoke constantly streaming from his mouth. He was the supreme commander of the Agrand Council Alliance's entire military.

And lastly, the most elusive of its members, Zydrayis, the Platinum Dragon Lord with his platinum white scales. He usually handled matters that the other councilors would rather not know about. It gave him a certain level of freedom to act as he saw fit, which Suveria took particular offense to for some reason, in order to deal with any situation that may come up. The only thing that made Suveria happy about this arrangement was that it kept Zydrayis away for extended periods of time. It was a rare occasion for the Platinum Dragon Lord to be here but it was even rarer for such odd company to be present. With him was an old woman they immediately recognized as Rigrit and a tall man who was covered head to toe in adamantite armor and wore a tattered cloak.

"Zydrayis, it is good to see you again," Eserth greeted in a calm voice befitting a wise woman.

"Indeed. You spend far too much time cooped up in that accursed flying city," Cythonan in a gravelly voice.

"You should really stop by more often ya bastard. Who am I supposed to brawl with when you're gone?" Grosis commented with a hearty chuckle.

"Yes we do loooooooooove it when you two tear the surrounding area apart and leave us to pick up the mess," Suveria sneered arrogantly. Zydrayis rolled his eyes at the thought of listening to more of this fool's grandstanding.

"I'm not here for a social call and according to my friend here, time is of the essence," Zydrayis said deciding to get to the point of why he was here.

"You're the one who called this meeting so go ahead," Groisis shrugged.

"It's concerning that vampire, Lucifer Dracul," Zydrayis stated.

"We've been investigating the Immortal Emperor ever since his emergence. Although his policies regarding the inclusion of nonhuman races and despite his tolerance of the undead, but since he is a vampire that was to be expected, we have had no issues with him but still have had practically no contact from him resulting in us having very little information on him If you have any information pertaining to him please share with us," Eserth implored.

"The floor is yours," Zydrayis said to the massive armored man. The tall figure stepped forward to the middle of the room and looked up at the dragons.

"My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. I used to be a friend of Lucifer Dracul back when he called himself Momonga," Ainz informed them.

"You know this vampire?" Cythonan asked.

"Yes but it's been a very long time since we last saw each other. I don't know what's going through his head, but the death and destruction I've seen this past year all seems to lead back to him. I believe he intends to take over the entire world," Ainz announced.

"Rule the world? Ridiculous," Suveria scoffed. "The thought of someone ruling the entire known world, not even counting anything that may lay beyond the ocean, is ludicrous. The manpower, resources, and wealth required to maintain such an empire would be a staggering amount."

"Yes it would," Ainz agreed. "An amount that he already possesses. He will not stop. I don't know how much he's changed but one aspect of him I'm quite certain hasn't changed is his absolute unwillingness to give up. You've seen it yourselves, every nation close to him has been swallowed up one by one for one reason or another. It will only be a matter of time until he sets his sights on your country."

"He HAS upset the balance of power drastically and he IS undead," Zydrayis spoke up.

"So what is it that you're suggesting?" Suveria asked.

"We must strike at him and demand he cease his endeavors. We must all work together if we want to stand a chance," Ainz declared.

"Well if we all attack him at the same time we should easily overpower him," Grosis growled.

"Not necessarily," Rigrit spoke up. "We've already heard how he killed the White Dragon Lord as if he was nothing but an ant. Although a few of you are stronger than he was, I doubt that Lucifer would have any trouble killing us all."

"So what do we do?" Eserth asked.

"If we all attack him, he would probably call on his subordinates and the battle will become a disaster. Your job should be to keep his subordinates off of me while I engage him in combat," Ainz stated.

"If he is so strong then what makes you think that you can beat him?" Cythonan asked.

"He and I have sparred many times in the past and he's never beaten me even once. However, this time I don't have my usual gear or weapons since I gave them to him when we last saw each other. As I am now I'd wager that I have a fifty-fifty chance of beating him with a few magic items I've acquired. Still, I know him better than anyone so I know what to expect," Ainz replied.

"If he is your old friend then why are you helping us to defeat him?" Grosis inquired.

"Because I need to learn what it is he is doing. I don't know what his motivations for world domination are or if there's anything left of the man I knew but I'm going to find out. Whatever his motivations may be, nothing can justify the deaths he had caused and I will ensure that he answers for what he's done," Ainz declared with a world-shaking amount of conviction.

 _I don't know what's come over you Momonga, but I can't let you continue this. I know Jaldabaoth is Demiurge and I know that either your or Pandora's Actor is Momon. Did the transition from human to undead affect you more than I thought? Is this about everyone going their separate ways? Do you think you're doing the right thing? Are you just ambitious and have no regard for life at all? Whatever the answer is, this is going to end one way or another._

* * *

Deep within the forests of the Troll Kingdom, a rumbling sound emanated from the depths of a cave hidden by the trees. Inside the cave, an eye that was completely white opened as the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, Mortis, awoke from his long slumber. Reflexively, upon his awakening he checked to make sure that very special scroll was still in his possession. Of course, it hadn't gone anywhere since he had it chained to his neck. He had obtained this when he fought and killed a powerful being that called itself a "player" that kept spouting nonsense throughout the entire battle. This scroll, called Five Elements Overcoming, was supposed to be very powerful, even more powerful than him! He didn't know what it did since he couldn't decipher the ever changing strange writing that covered the scroll, but he could sense that it possessed incredible power even if he didn't understand what it was supposed to do. That scroll was the reason he had come here in the first place. He wanted a secluded lair where he could research the scroll and try to decipher it for himself but he had no luck. For some reason, smoke was starting to fill the interior of his cave and it had been the scent that had woken him up. Mortis growled as he wondered what it exactly it was that had disturbed his rest.

 _What have those filthy trolls done this time? I came to this place for the sole purpose of being left alone and even here some fool has managed to disturb me! How many of them do I need to kill this time to get them to leave me alone?_

Mortis rose from his previous coiled position and stomped to the cave's entrance, grumbling the entire way. When he made it, his eyes widened when he saw the state of the forest that had hidden his cave away for almost the past two centuries. The entire forest was on fire. Trolls and Orcs were running all over the place carrying whatever they could bring with them. The Troll Kingdom's hierarchy had consisted of the citizens who lived in huts and small houses made of wood while the strongest trolls, the Troll Lords, lived in fortresses made of stone bricks. While the Troll Lords would be relatively fine, all the other trolls' homes were burning. Mortis wasn't sure what had caused this but the entire situation was annoying. The trolls would inevitably go on the warpath again, would need to gather more food which would probably end up being humans, and, most importantly, he had to go find a new cave to dwell in. With a sigh, Mortis emerged from his cave, revealing his sleek, shiny black scaled form to the trolls who immediately started roaring and shouting.

"It damn dragon!"

"He been here for long time!"

"KILL!"

"GLORY!"

"Meh."

"Gorg kill!"

"No! Gir kill!"

Mortis simply rolled his eyes and let a burst of black fire, turning the battle-ready trolls to dust with laughable ease.

"Stupid trolls," he growled as he flapped his massive wings and took to the air.

 _Dammit. Now what? If I want to continue my research undisturbed then I will need a new secluded lair to call my own. Perhaps I can find a place in the Great Forest of Tob? Most intelligent lifeforms avoid that place._

* * *

Vega and the group of survivors he had gathered ducked into the mausoleum dedicated to the city's founder near the eastern perimeter wall, which was still on fire, of the city just in time to avoid Jaldabaoth himself coming down the street. The group now consisted of eight humans, three goblins, one orc, four Dark Dwarves, and six Dark Elves including Vega himself.

"What the hell is he doing here? Some unlucky bastard must've gotten his attention if he's out of the Holy Palace," a Dark Dwarf with a braided beard said fearfully. Vega ignored him and walked over to one of the older humans was examining a loose brick wall near the elegant sarcophagus.

"Are you sure it's here?" Vega asked.

"Positive," the gruff old man replied. "I was one of the guys they had preform maintenance on these sewers. Since the sewers were built on top of the old catacombs, we should be able to bust in without any trouble and follow the tunnel to the other side of the wall."

"What about the undead? Won't there be some down there?" a Dark Dwarf who had sloppy bandages covering the left half of his face asked.

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem," a guard who had managed to survive spoke up. "Queen Hope used to send a platoon down there once a month to clear e'm out." Just as he finished speaking, the bricks on the wall collapsed allowing entrance into the catacombs.

"Alright," the old man grinned. "We follow this passage east for a bit and we take the first door we find on our left. That will lead us into the sewers. From there on, as long as we don't have any demons blocking our way out, we should be home free."

"Let's go," the orc growled as he brandished a mace in one hand and a torch in the other, leading the way in.

* * *

Approximately half a mile away from the holy city of Roble, Angela and Roman had begun setting up a forward command center with the help of Momon and several volunteers. Among the volunteers were Moknach with the rest of the mythril ranked team Rainbow, Pops and the rest of the guards from Khajiit and Clementine's attack on E-Rantel, Nabe, Hamsuke, Pluton Ainzach, and Theo Rakheshir. They were setting up their base of operations inside an old fort within an abandoned city. While Pops and his men continued setting up barricades, Nabe and one of the adventurers from Rainbow kept watch. Momon had just finished conversing with Rakheshir when a few unimpressive carriages pulled up near the fort causing everyone to take up defensive positions. Momon moved up to the closest carriage and placed a hand on one of his swords and waited for the carriage to open. Five seconds passed before the door to the carriage slowly creaked open.

"MOMON!" an entirely too happy voice yelled as a small blur of black and red collided with the armored behemoth and latched onto his arm. Obviously, it was Evileye.

"Hello Evileye. What brings you here?" Momon asked. As if he already didn't know.

"The same thing that brought you here I bet," Evileye replied as she hopped down from Momon. Momon turned his head to see Sebas, Climb, Brain, the rest of Blue Rose, and a man he had seen once before during the Demonic Disturbance, Freddon if he recalled.

"I should've known you would be here, Momon," Lakyus greeted with a smile.

"Figured you might need some help bringing down this demon, big man," Brain grinned as Tina and Tia gave nods of respect.

"I owe that demon for last time," Gargan growled.

"We brought Sebas!" Climb declared as Brain waved lazily. Sebas and Momon stared at each other, giving off the impression that they were sizing each other up. In reality, it was just good to see each other again.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Momon," Sebas greeted.

"Climb and Brain speak quite highly of you. When this is over I would love to spar with you," Momon said.

"I look forward to it," Sebas chuckled as they started walking back to the fort.

* * *

Roman and Angela were searching the city for anything useful. They didn't bother looking anything that could tell them what happened to the people that were living here since it was pretty obvious that Jaldabaoth's demons had been here judging from the destroyed buildings.

"So now that we've met Momon, what is your opinion of him?" Roman asked as he gathered a bundle of wood in his arms.

"He seems to be as skilled as the rumors," Angela mused. "His strength and reflexes appear to be on a level comparable to a Godkin. He might even actually be one. This is hard to admit, but I don't think I've ever been as skilled as that human is. If Jaldabaoth is the same as when I first fought him then Momon has a substantial chance of winning."

"I see! That is indeed impressive! Our people might be saved yet!" Roman commented with eyes wide.

"Why do you even care?" Angela asked coldly. Roman was about to answer when his eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he saw something in front of him.

"That's why," Roman responded fearfully. Angela stopped staring at Roman and turned around to see HIM. He had changed his suit from orange to black and he now had a cape made of suspiciously familiar feather but there was no mistaking who he was.

"Jaldabaoth," Angela whispered fearfully. She had thought that she would go into a rage the next time she saw him, much like she would do whenever she met anyone who had ever humiliated her, but he was different. He didn't just humiliate her, he crushed her mind, body, and soul. She was afraid. She and Romon arrived at the most logical course of action and ran like hell back to the fort hoping to find Momon. Jaldabaoth simply strolled behind them at a leisurely pace. Although it felt like hours, they arrived back at the fort in under five minutes just in time to catch Momon and some old man about to enter the fort.

"Sir Momon!" Roman cried, getting their attention "Jaldabaoth is here!" The moment he heard those words, Momon drew his swords and ran to intercept a black ball of flame hurtling towards them with a hard blow from one of his massive swords. The ball of flame exploded, obscuring Momon's vision and preventing him from seeing the foot that was on a collision course with his head. The kick struck him with tremendous force that would've taken a normal human's head off. Thankfully, Momon wasn't human. He wasn't even normal among his own kind! Momon was knocked back nearly thirty meters and landed on his feet in a crouched position with his swords at his sides.

"[Aspect of the Devil: Razor Sharp Claw]," came a familiar, sneering voice as Jaldabaoth strode forth from the flames as if they weren't there and glared at his enemy with his claws extended.

"It's absolutely wonderful to see you again, Sir Momon," Jaldabaoth bowed with his usual mocking politeness. "Although it pains me, I'm afraid that this the last time we will meet like this. This time, I have the advantage."

"And what advantage might that be?" Momon inquired as he rose to his feet.

"Hellmouth," was all Jaldabaoth said before he shot towards Momon and grazed his chest plate with his claws. Evileye gasped as she watched from the fort. Jaldabaoth's strength and speed were on a completely different level from last time. While Momon was faster than the human eye could keep up with, Jaldabaoth was faster than even an undead such as Evileye could keep with. Momon managed to parry one of Jaldabaoth's lightning fact strikes and stabbed forward with the sword in his right hand while the sword in his left hand swung at Jaldabaoth's left claw in an attempt to knock him off balance. At the last possible moment, Jaldabaoth turned to the right allowing the sword to only graze his chest while countered Momon's strike with such force that the sword in his left hand was knocked from his grasp, sending it clattering to the ground and leaving its wielder with only a single sword. Before Momon could react, Jaldabaoth dug his claws into Momon's chest plate and threw Momon into a nearby building. The members of Blue Rose, and even Nabe, were shocked. Jaldabaoth was dominating the fight unlike last time. Nabe, even though she knew that it was Demiurge under that mask, wanted to jump down there and rip him apart with her bare hands. She was about to jump over the wall and rush into the fight when Sebas placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No," was all that Nazarick's butler said. Nabe turned back to him and saw the look in his eyes, telling her not to interfere no matter what. She looked back just in time to see Jaldabaoth get knocked through a window with a crack on his mask. Momon jumped through the window after his opponent, now wielding his remaining sword with both hands. As he fell, he brought his sword down in a downward slash before Jaldabaoth could regain his footing, leaving the demon with no choice but to block the attack. When Momon would swing a sword in each hand it was already stronger than the strike of an average two handed sword wielder, so what would a two handed attack from Momon do? When blade met claw, the opposing strength from each individual clashed and created a small earthquake. After a few moments of a blade locking stalemate, Jaldabaoth's claws started to be pushed down. Momon's overwhelming strength was forcing Jaldabaoth onto his knees as he struggled to keep the massive blade from getting any closer. Evileye was so relieved that she was laughing now that the tide had turned. Despite Jaldabaoth's new unbelievable power, Momon was winning!

"[Aspect of the Devil: Archdemon's Wrist]!" Jaldabaoth shouted, actually showing a hint of panic before his arm enlarged ridiculously and he used the sudden burst of strength to send Momon flying up nearly fifty feet in the air, but Jaldabaoth wasn't finished yet. "[Evil Ray]!" he yelled, shooting a beam of purple light straight through Momon's chest. Everyone gasped in horror as the Dark Knight plummeted to the ground and crashed through the roof of a partially destroyed house on the other side of the city. The moment Jaldabaoth teleported away, Evileye, Nabe, and Hamsuke ran towards the street with panicked expressions.

"MOMON!"

"MOMON!"

"MASTER!"

* * *

Within the house where Momon's "corpse" had crashed, Momon sat up and dispelled his armor returning once again to the pale form of Lucifer Dracul.

"Mein Führer! That was a spectacular entrance!" a certain German shapeshifter exclaimed dramatically ass Demiurge teleported into the room.

"My lord, I hope I did not injure you too badly," he said as he bowed.

"Nothing major, Demiurge," Lucifer responded dismissively as he stood up. "Pandora's Actor, are you ready for this?"

"Jawohl," Pandora's Actor replied unhappily since he knew what had to be done. "For the Immortal Emperor!" he cried with conviction.

"For the Immortal Emperor," Demiurge grimaced as he also took no pleasure in this part. The next minute was taken up by Demiurge inflicting the exact same wounds on Pandora's Actor that he had inflicted on Momon. Once it was over, Pandora's Actor proceeded to roll around on the floor swearing in German. Deciding to let the Doppelganger get it out of his system, Lucifer turned to Demiurge.

"I trust everything has been prepared appropriately in the Holy Kingdom?" he asked.

"Of course, Lord Dracul," Demiurge smirked. "The Hellmouth illusion has covered the [Gate], the totems have been erected, almost every living thing in the city has been sent to the Deadhouse, and my Evil Lords have continued spawning more demons. We now have the single largest demon army ever recorded in this world's history."

"And the world items?"

"Unfortunately, neither Loginus nor the World Savior have been located," Demiurge reported with a frown as Pandora's Actor stood up and brushed himself off. "The Dark Elf King has thus far managed to evade me and Loginus is in none of the locations we previously mapped out. It wasn't even with the queen's corpse."

"That is unfortunate, but we cannot delay any longer. Return back to Roble and prepare for war," Lucifer ordered. Demiurge bowed in response and teleported off. "Pandora's Actor, you know what to do."

"Jawohl mein Führer!" Pandora's Actor declared as he withdrew the potion that he had grabbed back in E-Rantel. "But, mein Führer, might I make a request?"

"You may speak," Lucifer said as he raised an eyebrow.

"Mein Führer, would it be alright if I initiated relations with that vampire, Evileye? I will of course, dispose of her should you demand it. But if it is alright with you," Pandora's Actor rambled.

 _If he's into that then sure. Why not? I was planning to recruit her anyway._

"Very well Pandora's Actor, I suppose you DO deserve a reward for all your hard work," Lucifer stated. Before Pandora's Actor could launch into hysterical thanks, Lucifer raised a hand to get his attention. "Tim is of the essence so please take your position."

"Jawohl!" Pandora's Actor nodded as he transformed into Momon with the additions of the wounds that Jaldabaoth had inflicted. He then laid down in the crater created by his master's landing and drank the potion. The effect was immediate. "Momon" stiffened and became unable to move. He was now essentially comatose and, to anyone who didn't know the effects of that potion, he was dead. That potion was something Lucifer had asked for from Nfirea, who had done a superb job of creating it, and its affect wouldn't wear off until the antidote was administered. If used on a human, going too long in this state WOULD result in death. But the denizens of Nazarick were made of tougher stuff. With an evil grin on his face, Lucifer teleported away, leaving "Momon's corpse" to be found, most likely by Evileye.

* * *

 **My computer was being an absolute BITCH**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	31. Battle Plans

Chapter 30: Battle Plans

When Evileye found Momon's body, her brain ceased functioning altogether. Her savior, her idol, the man she loved was dead. She sank to her knees and, not knowing what to do, she threw her mask away and just started crying. It didn't take long for the rest of Blue Rose and what was left of Darkness to find her slumped over Momon's unmoving chest. The members of Blue Rose stared in horror, Nabe had an expression of hopelessness on her face, and Hamsuke had tears in its eyes. They all just stood there for a few minutes until Lakyus spoke up.

"I-I guess we should move him, right?" she whispered uncertainly.

"Yes," Evileye choked out. Nabe continued to stand there, unable or unwilling to move.

"Th-this king will fulfill its duty to its master!" Hamsuke proclaimed through its tears as he lifted Momon's body onto his back with his tail. Everyone, except for Nabe, followed Hamsuke as they slowly made their way back to the fort with their heads down. When the others saw them approach with Momon's corpse, expressions of fear, sorrow, shock, and despair became present on their faces. The recurring theme of their expressions was a total loss of hope. After they moved Momon's body to one of the beds in the makeshift infirmary they had set up, they gathered in the fort's old dining hall and took their seats at the table, except for Hamsuke who was bawling outside since it couldn't fit through the doors. They all just sat there quietly. Momon had been dead for barely two hours and the world already seemed to be becoming darker and bleaker at his passing. Nobody said a word. After nearly an hour of sitting in silence, Angela finally spoke up.

"So… now what should we do?" she asked glumly.

"The better question is what CAN we do. With Momon leading the charge victory was always assured, but with him gone…." Ainzach trailed off.

"There's no one left who can challenge Jaldabaoth," Gargan groaned.

"Can't we just revive him with your magic, Lakyus?" Tia asked.

"No. Evileye and I checked the wound and found it was tainted by unholy energy," Lakyus said sadly. "Just like the wound that lost him his eye, the unholy energy is preventing me from using my healing magic on him."

"I still can't really believe this," Tina stated in a hollow voice.

"He was the best of us all," Moknach sighed.

"He's right. I saw him in action during the Demonic Disturbance," Freddon commented. "He was badass."

"I thought he was invincible," Tia muttered.

"Wh-what about the people of E-Rantel?" Climb asked. "I thought Momon was the only thing that stood between them and Immortal Emperor's wrath."

"Nobody really knows what those two worked out but we felt it was best not to pry and risk incurring Lucifer's wrath," Theo interjected.

"Then, what about the Immortal Emperor? Isn't he as powerful as Momon?" Pops asked. "We've all heard about what happened on Katze Plains after all."

"That's true, but he and Momon were supposed to be evenly matched and Momon wasn't able to beat Jaldabaoth so neither will the Immortal Emperor," Evileye choked out n between sobs. "That's why Dracul supposedly took him on as his bodyguard and ruled E-Rantel mercifully: because he was afraid of Momon."

"Actually, we of the Holy Kingdom haven't heard the details of what happened on Katze Plains," Roman interjected.

"It was absolute hell," Brain shivered as he recalled the monstrous Dark Young. "With a single spell, he killed 75,000 people and summoned invincible monsters that killed even more people. Out of the 300,000 conscripts the Kingdom mobilized, only about 40,000 made it back alive." Roman and Angela's faces paled. They knew that the Immortal Emperor was powerful, but this was beyond what they had ever considered possible.

"Hold on, do you all hear that?" Theo suddenly asked. Everyone stayed as quiet as possible as they listened for whatever Theo was talking about. The sounds of people yelling at each other emanated from outside the fort. Everyone leapt from their seats and ran to the front battlements to take a look at the situation that was unfolding. Outside, several carriages had arrived from the east, carrying a large group of humans while another group of mixed races had arrived the west. The humans were immediately recognized as members of the Slane Theocracy, including the Cardinals of Light, Darkness, and Earth along with the Black Scripture, while the group of mixed races appeared to be survivors from Roble.

"What are they arguing about?" Climb asked.

"Probably has something to do with the nonhumans," Sebas replied.

"C'mon, let's break them up before this turns ugly," Layus ordered. The members of Blue Rose, Sebas, Roman, and Angela went down there and tried to keep them all from drawing weapons and resolve the situation, but failed to do so. They were about ready to let them start tearing each other apart when a loud feminine voice shouted at them.

"SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!" Nabe screamed. Everyone immediately went completely silent for a few moments until the Cardinal of Darkness cleared his throat.

"I apologize for our rash actions. For the time being I propose we engage diplomatically in order to establish some manner of truce between us," he spoke up.

"You can't seriously expect us to work with these filthy-" the Cardinal of Light began.

"Be quiet Yvon," the Cardinal of Earth snapped causing the Cardinal of Light to cross his arms and rage in silence.

"I guess we can work with that," Vega growled, getting Angela's attention.

"YOU!" she roared as she reached for a weapon only to remember that she didn't have one causing her to opt for pointing at him in an accusatory fashion. "YOU KILLED MY SISTER!" Everyone turned to Vega in alarm when they heard that accusation.

"And she had my mother killed," Vega responded coldly. "As far as I'm concerned, she got what she deserved."

"So what, you think that makes us even?" Angela cried.

"No. I still owe you for this," Vega sneered as he gestured to his lack of a cheek. The two continued to glare at each other with everyone else afraid to get between them, except for Nabe who didn't give a rat's ass. Before anyone could react, Nabe sprinted in front of them and smacked each of them upside the head.

"Stupid gnats! We have an all-powerful demon king who wants to end the world on our hands and you're stuck arguing about who owes who!?" Nabe barked. "GROW UP!" Vega looked down in shame while Angela pouted and turned away, unable to admit that she was in the wrong but knowing it all the same.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," a familiar cold voice spoke up from the shadows. Everyone turned their heads to see death given human form and two Dark Elf children emerge from the darkness.

"Lord Dracul!" Nabe cried with a bow. Lucifer looked over the gathered humans and nonhumans with an eyebrow raised and a slight frown.

 _There's that fucking elf and there's the World Savior. I guess he managed to escape the hell on earth that Demiurge created. Impressive by this world's standards. Perhaps he could be useful to me, unlike that foolish Valkyrie Knight Angela Pious._

"Where's that fool Momon?" Lucifer asked, pretending he didn't know that Momon, or rather Pandora's Actor, was in the fort pretending to be dead. "I seem to recall ordering him to wait until I said my forces were ready before coming here to the Holy Kingdom and he had better have a good reason as to why he went against my orders."

"Mo-Momon is dead. Jaldabaoth killed him," Evileye sniffed. The representatives from the Slane Theocracy stared in shock as Vega's group raised their eyebrows since they had never heard of Momonthe because the nonhumans never heard news from the human nations and the humans had lived in a society that opted to isolate itself from the rest of the world. Vega himself, however, had placed his full undivided attention on Aura and Mare.

"I see. I was afraid this was going to happen." Luicfer sighed in an annoyed manner as strode past everyone and into the fort. Evileye ran past him and to the room that they had laid Momon's body, afraid of what the Immortal Emperor was going to do to him. Lucifer simply let her do what she wanted since there wasn't anything she could really do against him, she was leading him right to the "body", and it was best to have a witness for what he was about to do. Evileye ran inside the makeshift infirmary and tried to cover Momon's body with her own in order to act as a human shield. Moments later, Lucifer strode into the room with an amused look on his face.

"Stay away!" Evileye cried. "I'm not going to let you turn him into an undead!" Lucifer simply chuckled in response.

"Calm yourself child. I was merely going to return him to life. I am not referred to as the God of Life and Death for nothing," Lucifer said as he moved closer to the corpse while Evileye suddenly remembered what Momon had said back at the National Diet.

* * *

 _"_ _Soooooo, how's your eye?" Evileye asked as she gestured to the eyepatch Momon had worn since losing his eye to Jaldabaoth._

 _"_ _It's alright," Momon chuckled. "The Immortal Emperor actually said he could heal my wound, but I turned him down."_

 _"_ _Really? Even Lakyus wasn't able to fix it!" Evileye exclaimed. Not only was Lucifer Dracul capable of causing apocalyptic levels of destruction, but he was able to heal injuries that even the most esteemed healers couldn't hope to repair._

* * *

 _This just like that time! Even though Lakyus can't fix it because of the unholy energy, it's child's play for the God of Life and Death. He can revive Momon!_

"Please, do what you can," Evileye pleaded as she got off of Momon and removed his helmet. The moment she got down, Lucifer cast a [Silent Stop Time] spell which affected everything except for himself and Pandora's Actor, who had defenses against such spells. With time frozen, Lucifer withdrew the antidote for potion the Pandora's Actor had ingested from the folds of his cloak and poured it down his throat. Within a few moments the antidote took effect causing "Momon" to awake and look up at his master.

"Mein Führer, has everything gone according to plan?" Momon asked.

"Yes Pandora's Actor, everything has proceeded as I had foreseen," Lucifer smirked. "Proceed as planned and stay still." Momon nodded and laid his head back down to his previous position continuing to play to dead. Once the [Silent Stop Time] spell finished, Evileye's feet finally touched the floor and Lucifer drew out a wand of resurrection, purposefully drawing Evileye's attention to it as he channeled mana through it without actually using it to make it look like he was casting a spell with it while his other hand, hidden within his red cloak, started subtly casting healing magic on Momon. The wounds on Momon's chest started healing and he suddenly bolted upright panting heavily.

 _Good acting._

"Momon!" Evileye exclaimed in pure joy as she pounced on him.

"What happened?" Momon asked convincingly.

"You went against my orders and got yourself killed," Lucifer sneered. "Have you ever considered that give out such orders a reason and that I'm not just doing this for my own amusement?"

"But I-" Momon began.

"You rushed forward without a legitimate plan or without even evaluating our enemies," Luicfer frowned. "I don't want to hear excuses. In the end, no permanent damage has been done. Meet us all in the dining room in an hour or two. Evileye, leave him be for now. Although he could join a fight immediately do to the potency of my magic, it is recommended that he takes some time to recover, especially after having so much unholy energy forcibly removed from him." With that, Lucifer and a begrudging Evileye left Momon to recover.

"Why did you save him?" Evileye asked with narrowed eyes. "You could've let him stay dead."

"You didn't seem to have any objections when I offered to revive him," Lucifer said coldly making he hand her head in shame. "Why the sudden suspicion? Is it so hard to believe that I view Momon as a valuable asset and consider it a venture worth my time to keep him alive?"

"Under normal circumstances that would be a completely understandable line of thought," Evileye said. "You're a vampire and you claim to care for humans. Doesn't that sound a little too good to be true?"

"No. After all, I'm not the only vampire who feels something other than hate for humanity am I, Landfall?" Lucifer sneered causing Evileye's eyes to widen before narrowing once again. "I will not claim to have any great love for them and as they are now they are nothing more than maggots, but they have potential and I would hate to see it squandered."

"Okay, maybe you do care for humanity in some weird, messed up kind of way," Evileye said suspiciously. "However, Momon is the strongest warrior to ever exist and is the only real threat to you. If he died, there would be no one left to keep you in check. Why didn't you just let him die and come up with some excuse as to why you couldn't save him?" Lucifer stared at her for a few moments before letting out a sinister laugh.

"Dear child, you seem to be laboring under the delusion that Momon was EVER a threat to me," Lucifer smirked as he walked away.

* * *

Nigun had been asked to scout out all of the slaves pens and slave markets in Humanika as well as sabotage the Slane Theocracy's WCI collection and, if possible, steal them since the Black Scripture was no longer present in the city. The rain did nothing to put a damper on his good mood. He was excited by once again being presented with the opportunity to help his god for had asked of her for two reasons. The first reason was that this could be another chance to useful to Lucifer, even though he had been constantly feeding his master intel he hadn't really felt that he had been living up to his potential and was eager to probe himself.. The second reason he was excited was for a less pleasant reason: the Rat Plague. It started a few months ago as nothing more than a few people bleeding from the eyes, but now it had spread at an astonishing rate. Those who were sick for too long started bleeding from the eyes, coughing up blood, and they lost their minds which resulted in them attacking anyone they came into contact with so for obvious reasons people preferred not to leave their homes given the state of things. The priests used magic and potions to heal and cure the afflicted as fast as they could while saying that this plague was the Six Gods punishing them for the sin of allowing an undead freak, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, to take power but that the Six Gods favored humanity and it was their duty as the divine priests "who always made the right decisions for their disciples" to guide the stray sheep back to the flock. But after a while the potions ran out, people got sick faster than they could be healed, and those priests who said that they were always right also started getting sick. Even the Cardinal of Water had gotten sick, of course he was healed the moment he started coughing up blood, and the idea that they were being punished for their sins didn't work anymore which left the church in an awkward position as more and more people began to question their faith. Eventually martial law was put in place allowing the Slane Theocracy's guards to roam the streets and wipe out Weepers. Once it was discovered that rats were the source of the plague, extermination teams were deployed to kill rats in an attempt to contain the plague but by the time they did, the plague was too widespread. There were bodies wrapped in cloth and laid down in rows along the streets and swarms of rats attempted to devour anyone unlucky to cross their path. Thankfully, Nigun was a vampire and the undead can't get sick. As for the rat swarms, he was capable of dealing with them on his own with his new vampiric abilities. With the remaining guards running around trying to maintain public order, hunt down the rats, and eliminate any Weepers they find, Nigun free to go where he wanted with very few restrictions. That said, he still made sure that nobody tracked him and, to his relief, no one had given him any trouble.

That is….. until she appeared.

"Hello Nigun!" Jessamine called out.

 _Insufferable, naïve, idiotic woman! Why is she always so happy? Remember Nigun, she is close to Lord Attano, she is involved in the plan, and Corvo will tear me apart if I hurt her without the consent of him or milord._

"A pleasure to see you Ms. Kaldwin," Nigun greeted, masking his annoyance. "How have you been?" Jessamine was wearing a hooded robe to shield herself from the rain and a ring that Corvo had given to her which granted her protection from diseases.

 _Very clever Lord Attano. You knew that this woman would be ecstatic upon being presented with a ring from you._

"I'm just fine!" Jessamine replied as she started walking next to him. "Although I wish Corvo would pay more attention to me. I even tried the "Naked Apron" technique taught by the Six Gods and it still didn't work!"

 _Why are you following me? WAIT! SHE USED THE NAKED APRON TECNIQUE ON LORD ATTANO!? LUCKY BASTARD! I may not like this woman, but only a fool would say that she isn't attractive! Dammit, now I'm thinking about Mistress Shalltear's toys. This stupid woman and her stupid brain and her stupid ideas and her stupid…. Wait a minute! I bet she's still all into the abolishment of elven slavery. I can use this to my advantage._

"It's like he doesn't understand what I'm doing!" Jessamine ranted. "Why doesn't he notice my feelings for him!? What do I have to do? Run up to him and yell: NOTICE ME SENPAI!?"

* * *

"Damn!" Corvo sneezed, prompting several members of the Black Scripture to look at him.

"Are you alright?" Ruvik asked.

"I'm fine," Corvo responded gruffly.

"I sense the calming energies of love in the air," Mori mused.

"Shut up," Corvo grunted as the image of Jessamine wearing the naked apron appeared in his mind.

* * *

"Well, Lord Attano did spend a long time away from people when he stayed in the Great Forest of Tob," Nigun lied. "Perhaps it would be best to just be direct with him?"

"I guess you're right," Jessamine sighed. "When he gets back, I'm going to just tell him like it is!" she declared with a determined grin and a raised fist.

"You know Ms. Kaldwin, Corvo and I are in contact with a man who shares your beliefs regarding elven equality," Nigun said. "Currently, I am acquiring intelligence regarding the slave pens and slave markets but I know that you have been studying such things for a very long time. Would you mind if I sent a copy of your work to milord? You will be recognized for your hard of course."

"Do you really think he could make a difference?"

"Absolutely."

"Hmm, okay! But on one condition: I want to meet this man for myself!" she declared.

"I will see if I can arrange a meeting," Nigun replied, hiding a grimace. Lord Dracul might be upset with him if this fell apart, but the idea that Corvo served the Immortal Emperor should keep the cheerful woman in line.

"That would be wonderful!" Jessamine exclaimed. "Oh! One more thing, how does the name Jessamine Attano sound to you?"

"Lovely," Nigun responded through gritted teeth.

"Yay!" Jessamine exclaimed as she dragged Nigun back to her home to get her research.

 _Is this what Lord Attano goes through every day? She's like a happier Lady Albedo!_

* * *

The old fort's dining room was full of different people from different groups. Representatives of the National Liberation Party, the Slane Theocracy, the Holy Kingdom, Vega's coalition, and the Eternal Empire had all gathered around the massive table that once seated every soldier that had been stationed here. The Cardinals of Light, Earth, and Darkness were seated opposite of Lucifer Dracul with the entire Black Scripture, or what was left of them, gathered behind them. Sebas, Lakyus, Evileye, Ainzach, and Momon all sat on Lucifer's right with the rest of National Liberation Party representatives behind them as well as the volunteers from the Eternal Empire. Angela, Roman, and Vega were sitting on the left with the survivors of the Demonic Invasion as Vega ignored the countless glares Angela sent his way with his gaze firmly set on Aura and Mare who were standing at either side of the door. Lucifer, with Albedo and Senator Jircniv at his sides, had a serious expression on his face as he gaze swept across the faces of those who were gathered and glared at a few of them such as the Cardinal of Light. Behind him stood Cocytus, Fluder, Gazef, Nimble, Zenberu, Leinas, Avenir, Zaryusu, and Baziwood. After a quick glance towards Albedo, he faced those who were gathered and let out a sigh.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to see how many have come together to stand firm in the face of Jaldabaoth's threat and I hope that we can put any differences we may have aside until the crisis has been resolved," Lucifer spoke up, ending the silence.

"Let's just get this over with," the Cardinal of Light snarled as he kept glancing suspiciously at everyone around him, even his fellow cardinals.

"Indeed. I believe it would be prudent if we resolved this crisis as quickly as possible," Sebas said calmly.

"We need to kill that demon," Angela declared with conviction.

"This may be a bit off topic," Vega spoke up, earning glares from several members of the Theocracy. "But I have never heard of you or the Eternal Empire until today. I'd prefer to know who I'm working with."

"Fair enough," Lucifer shrugged. "The Eternal Empire is a nation without nobility and does not allow religion to dictate its actions. Slavery is banned, humans and nonhumans are citizens with equal rights,"

"So those Dark Elves you have with you are not slaves?" Vega asked in order to clarify.

"No, they are not slaves," Lucifer confirmed. "As a matter of fact, they are among the highest ranking officials in my empire." Once again, several of those among the Black Scripture scowled while the side of Vega's face that wasn't disfigured became a grin.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that there are a few countries where my kin aren't mistreated," Vega said as he shot a glare towards the Theocracy.

 _Kin? Just because they're Dark Elves? Or does it have to do with their heterochromatic eyes?_

"You should be honored to be in the same room as us, elf!" the Cardinal of Light shouted only to be smacked upside the head by the Cardinal of Darkness. "You dare-"

"Complain later. We have more pressing matters to deal with," the Cardinal of Darkness interjected coldly. "Now Lord Dracul, at the Diet you told us that you knew what Jaldabaoth is up to?"

"Of course," Lucifer smirked. "The only reason Jaldabaoth would take over a city like this is because he is in possession of what he needs to fulfill his ultimate objective: extinction. He will wipe out every human, dwarf, elf, angel, and anything else he deems unfit to walk this earth."

"And how does he intend to do this?" Sebas asked.

"He has enacted a demonic ritual in order to create a Hellmouth. Based off of Momon's memories, he has already succeeded with that part of his plan which makes this much more difficult," Lucifer lied. "Once he has sacrificed enough corpses to the Hellmouth, he will send out an army of invincible demons to eradicate everything in his way."

"Pardon me, but what is this "Hellmouth" you speak of?" Lakyus asked.

"And what did you mean by "Based off of Momon's memories"?" Evileye demanded.

"The Hellmouth serves as a sacrificial pit that grants more power to all demons in its area of effect. Sacrificing fresh corpses to the pit will increase the area of effect and the amount of power granted to the demons. As for Momon's memories, I read his mind while we were in the infirmary reviving him," Lucifer informed them while internally smirking. There was no such thing as a Hellmouth. What they would see was nothing more than a high level illusion spell that was covering up the [Gate] they were using to send the corpses to the Deadhouse. As for the demons becoming more powerful, Demiurge and the Evil Lords had used spells to raise the stats of all the demons summoned by the Evil Lords. "Anything that goes into the Hellmouth never comes back out and judging by how powerful Jaldabaoth was when he fought Momon here, it will make him practically a god as long as he is near the Hellmouth. Once he has sacrificed enough corpses to the Hellmouth, he and his armies will be granted practical invincibility and they will begin the extermination of all that stands in his way."

"So it's hopeless," Gargan grumbled.

"Momon is the strongest warrior to ever live. If he wasn't able to beat that demon when they were half a mile away from the city, then how are we supposed to defeat him when he's inside the city?" Ainzach moaned.

"Simple. I will kill him," Lucifer proclaimed, prompting everyone to stare at him.

"But you majesty, if Momon is on the same level as you then how will you be able to beat him?" Lakyus asked.

"After all, it is only your fear of Momon that has kept you from killing your citizens," the Cardinal of Light sneered. Lucifer chuckled lightly as at the foolish cardinal.

"And who told you that Momon was a threat to me? I did," Lucifer stated calmly. "I apologize for the deception, but the only reason you believe that I fear Momon is because it was convenient for me."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Theo shivered.

"Moknach, remember what your reason for staying in my city was, despite the fact that you were being ruled over by an undead creature?" Lucifer inquired.

"I stayed because of Momon," Moknach replied uneasily.

"Precisely. You were all able to rest easy because your heroic Dark Knight stood vigilant and was always prepared to kill me should I ever plot anything," Lucifer smirked. "However, I never ruled E-Rantel mercifully because I was afraid of Momon but because it was how I wanted my empire to be. The fact of the matter is that Momon was NEVER a threat to me and couldn't kill me no matter how hard he tried nor would he ever try to kill me in the first place." Everyone in the room froze. Was the strongest warrior really no match for the Immortal Emperor?

"Then why did you take him as your personal bodyguard?" the Cardinal of Earth asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"Ainzach, didn't it put you and the rest of the citizens at ease knowing that Momon was there to protect you from the big bad vampire? That he was there for you to hide behind should I ever attack the populace?" Lucifer continued causing everyone to grow paler and paler. "I allowed you all to think Momon was as strong as I am in order to keep you all from fleeing out of fear."

"I see," the Cardinal of Darkness mused. "You used their trust of Momon and the fact that he is regarded as the strongest warrior in order to lull people into a false sense of security with the false assumption that they would be able to defeat you if you ever tried to do anything horrible. You're as clever as they say." The Cardinal of Light was foaming at the mouth out of rage and he looked like he wanted to berate his colleague for praising their enemy, but he felt sick to his stomach as he heard how the strongest warrior didn't even qualify as a threat to the Immortal Emperor. His eyes were now frantically darting between all of those who were gathered as if he expected them all to pounce on him with an irrationally paranoid look in his eyes.

"Correct. Momon was used to keep any rebellions from popping up and minimizing the resulting bloodshed. You can imagine what the outcome would be if a bunch of civilians decided to attack a Death Knight," Lucifer confirmed dismissively.

"Wait, you said that Momon wouldn't dare to attack you anyway," Moknach spoke up. "Why wouldn't he? If he thought that you were equally matched then what would've prevented him from attacking you?"

"Ainzach, I believe that during the incident with Valeda Tepes Momon mentioned that he had been chasing Jaldabaoth and Ms. Tepes because someone had sent him out into the world to hunt them down," Lucifer smirked.

"Wait…. It was you!" Ainzach exclaimed. "You're the one who gave Momon those powerful enchanted swords! You're the one who sent him after Jaldabaoth! You're his master! He's served you the whole time!" Everyone in the room froze at the startling realization that Momon had been working for Lucifer the entire time.

"Bravo Ainzach, you figured it out," Lucifer responded as he clapped slowly. "Momon has been working for me long before any of you even knew his name."

"How long have you been serving this unholy abomination!?" the Cardinal of Light demanded. "How long ago did you turn your back on humanity!?" Although they didn't like how the cardinal was acting, everyone was nonetheless curious about how long Momon had been serving Lucifer Dracul. Momon sighed and took off his helmet before telling them the truth.

"I have served Lord Dracul since my earliest memories," Momon announced making everyone go silent.

"Indeed," Lucifer smirked. "When I first awoke and found what condition this pitiful world was in, I decided that I needed an agent to gather more information on the surrounding nations and so in the same manner that I created my army of Death Knights I created a perfect human and sent him out to hunt down those who betrayed me as well as gather information. Obviously, that perfect human was Momon. He has served me from the moment his life began."

"He created him…."

"The perfect human?"

"No way."

"BLASPHEMY!"

"This actually explains a lot."

"The power of the gods."

"He really is the God of Life and Death!"

"Meh."

"I think I just shit myself, Pops."

"Me too boys….. me too."

"INCREDIBLE! WHAT MANNER OF MAGIC IS THAT!?"

"Calm down Fluder."

"Gods no, please tell me that they're lying."

"Y-you created him?" Evileye choked out. She couldn't believe it. The man that she loved had been created not in the way that anyone else would be born but in the way a god creates life. He was essentially a demigod! The Cardinal of Light was looking very smug and was sure that everyone would turn against Momon and his master.

"Well, if Momon did all those heroic things under his majesty's orders then it sounds like he has been helping us much more than we thought," Ainzach finally said, earning the Cardinal of Light's ire.

"To give Momon credit, I did not order him to get involved in the incident where a large number of undead invaded E-Rantel. He acted of his own accord to save the inhabitants. He has grown quite attached to your kind, even more so after the Demonic Disturbance," Lucifer said with a chuckle as he gave Evileye and Momon a meaningful look causing them both to blush slightly.

"Wait a minute, then what about Lady Nabe?" Theo asked.

"Nabe is a maid who has served me since the time when Jaldabaoth served me and she isn't actually a human at all," Lucifer informed them.

"She's a maid?" Tina commented as she raised an eyebrow. Nabe simply grunted out a yes and nodded in response. Before anyone else could ask a question, someone knocked on the door that Aura and Mare were guarding.

"What's the password?" Aura demanded.

"Do I really have to do this?" a scathing, familiar voice sighed on the other side of the door.

"S-sis, w-w-we already know that it's Demiurge. C-can't we just-" Mare stuttered.

"No! We need the password!" Aura declared eliciting a sigh from the other side of the door.

"Shalltear has fake boobs," Demiurge stated irritably.

"Come on in!" Aura exclaimed happily as she unlocked the door allowing Demiurge stride into the room. Several people in the room immediately went for their weapons upon seeing his resemblance to Jaldabaoth.

"Calm down everyone! This is Director Demiurge of the Eternal Empire. NOT Jaldabaoth!" Lakyus exclaimed. Those who drawn their weapons narrowed their eyes at the smirking demon before sheathing their weapons.

"I'm glad that's out of the way," Demiurge sneered. "I have the map you requested my lord."

"Thank you Demiurge. If you would," Lucifer said as he gestured to the table. Demiurge nodded and unrolled an enormous bird's-eye-view map of the Holy City of Roble. With the map set so that those who were gathered around the table could see it, Demiurge began muttering spells under his breath.

"The Hellmouth has been set up within the palace throne room," Lucifer began as he jabbed his finger towards the palace on the map. "I would be able to close the infernal thing with a simple spell but my dragons have reported that Jalbadaoth has made it so that it will be difficult to close the damnable thing through magic, but we there is another way. Demiurge, if you would."

"Yes my lord. [Crystal Screen]," Demiurge cast the spell, allowing everyone else to see what he saw. What they saw would best be described as post-apocalyptic city. The raging fires had spread to engulf a large portion of the city and the demons had collected all the corpses. The buildings were nothing but ruins at this point and the streets were covered in dry blood splatters. Hordes of demons crawled on top of buildings, ran rampant through the streets, and started massive fires creating chaos wherever they roamed. Among the demon hordes were all seven of Demiurge's Evil Lords were roaming. The three from the Demonic Disturbance, Envy, Wrath, and Greed were present as well as their fellow Evil Lords. Gluttony was fat, flabby demon with a head like a boar's and was covered with large mouths lined with pointed teeth, the biggest mouth being on its stomach. His massive body crept around on long sturdy spider-like legs. Sloth was a thin, lanky, pale creature with no mouth, black eyes, and crooked limbs. Lust was a woman with pale purple skin clad wearing what could best be described as black tape that left very little to the imagination. She had dark purple hair, bat wings, big pink eyes, and a seductive smile, not to mention the black devil tail she had. Pride's upper half was that of an extremely muscular man and the lower half was much like a snake. His skin was an inky black, he had four milky white eyes, tentacles sprouting from his back, and a ferocious sharp toothed grin from which a forked tongue flicked out.

"These seven demons serve as Jaldabaoth's lieutenants. In order to keep them from getting in the way of my fight with Jaldabaoth we will need groups of skilled individuals to engage each one," Lucifer stated. "I propose the following teams work together: Momon, Nabe, and Evileye, you were instrumental in stopping Jaldabaoth the first time. Lakyus, Tina, Tia, and Gargan, even without your entire team together I am certain you will be able to fight one of the Evil Lords. Sebas, Climb, Brain, and Freddon, I understand you have all fought alongside each other before. Gazef, Fluder, Baziwood, Nimble, and Leinas. Vega, Angela, and Zenberu. Ruvik, Corvo, and Avenir, Avenir is looking forward to working with the Black Scripture again. And the rest of the Black Scripture will be put into their own group. The plan is that my army will draw most of the demons into battle outside of the city, High General Cocytus will command my forces."

"It. Will. Be. An. Honor. To. Bring. You. Victory. My. Lord." Cocytus declared.

"I expect nothing less. Demiurge, return to Nazarick and make preparations should Jaldabaoth escape," Lucifer ordered.

"As you wish my lord," Demiurge smirked as he left to go fulfill his true orders.

"With Jaldabaoth's forces occupied, I will be able to do battle with him uninterrupted," Lucifer announced. "However, as long as the Hellmouth is open, he will be unable to die. The only way to defeat him and close the Hellmouth will to hurl him into the accursed pit he has created. The Hellmouth was created to accept sacrifices but never the creator themselves which will result in it being sealed shut and Jaldabaoth will remain trapped within that pit of despair for eternity. Demons only respect one thing: strength. Upon the defeat of their master, they will naturally bow to whoever defeated him, which will obviously be me, and then I will order them to vacate the city before sending them to Nazarick. Are there any issues with this plan?" Everyone looked at each other with raised eyebrows. They didn't like how Lucifer was the only one who seemed to know what was going on or how he was directing everything, but they had all come to terms with the facts that he had an unimaginable level of intellect and was privy to information about things that no one else even knew about.

"I don't like this!" the Cardinal of Light bellowed. "Why should we listen to an undead? I WILL NOT FOLLOW ANY PLAN LAID OUT BY THIS MONSTER!"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Lakyus sneered.

"YEAH! DON'T LISTEN TO VAMPIRES!" the Cardinal of Light yelled back.

"Is that all?" Brain scoffed.

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A LOW CLASS FOOL WHO HAS DECIDED TO-" before the Cardinal of Light could continue, the Cardinal of Darkness grabbed him by the shoulder.

"If you're not going to help then leave," the Cardinal of Darkness growled. "I don't care if you're the Archbishop's favorite and I have no use for a foolish old man who'd rather indulge his own ego than accept the reality of the situation. Raymond and I have actual military experience whereas you just inherited your position because your predecessor became the new Archbishop and nominated you to take his place as cardinal."

"YOU DARE-"

"Just go, Yvon," Raymond sighed. The Cardinal of Light fumed as he stomped out.

"NONE OF YOU CAN BE TRUSTED! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO IS TRULY LOYAL TO THE SIX GREAT GODS!" he shouted behind him before the Aura and Mare shut the large double doors.

"We of the Slane Theocracy approve of this plan and agree to assist you, Immortal Emperor," the Cardinal of Earth announced.

"Glad to hear it," Lucifer smirked.

* * *

The Cardinal of Light stormed out of the fortress with a crazed look in his eyes.

 _Those fools! They've betrayed the Theocracy! How dare Maximilian say such things to me like that! ME! The Cardinal of Light! The most holy of ALL cardinals, second ONLY to the Archbishop himself! When we return to Humanika the Archbishop WILL hear about this! He was always like this: interrupting me, telling me that my ideas were foolish, embarrassing me in front of the other cardinals and even the lowly peasants! HOW DID I NOT SEE IT!? I will do everything in my power to see that he is branded a heretic upon my return! He'll be as low as the filthy elves! Damn that vampire and his schemes! Whatever he's planning, I WILL NOT let him succeed! It seems I will have to take matters into my own hands so that those HERETICS Raymond and Maximilian do not betray our gods and help the Antichrist any more than they already have!_

With that final thought, the Cardinal of Light began stomping off towards the burning city of Roble.

* * *

As Lucifer finished summoning a [Gate] for his army to come through, Vega walked to him and bowed.

"Lord Dracul," Vega began. "I would like to thank you for taking care of my kin, Aura and Mare."

"You keep calling them "your kin". Why is that? Is it simply because they are fellow Dark Elves?" Lucifer inquired.

"No milord. Their eyes are a mark of royalty. They are the offspring of my father the accursed Elf King, Augustus Connard. They seem to be unaware of who their father's identity or the monster that he is. I believe that it is for the best since that terrible knowledge could be a heavy burden on a child," Vega said. "If you don't mind me asking, have you had any contact with the Elf Country?"

"No I'm afraid not," Lucifer answered truthfully.

"I see. If I may ask, could I depend on your assistance to make my dream come true when you finally make contact with them?" Vega begged.

"That depends on what it is you want," Lucifer replied dismissively.

"I would like your help killing my father and uniting the elven races. I would take my father's place on the throne and dissolve the Elf Country into the Eternal Empire. I have not known you or your empire for very long, but based off your actions as its ruler and how you have committed to eliminating Jaldabaoth, I can honestly say that I can entrust you with the future of my people," Vega declared.

"The fact that I'm an undead monster isn't a problem?" Lucifer asked with an eyebrow raised, surprised by Vega's trust in him.

"I have seen what a true monster looks like," Vega grimaced as he thought about all the suffering Jaldabaoth had caused. "And you are not a monster." Lucifer grinned down at the elf and motioned for him to rise.

"Very well Vega, I will accept your offer and additionally I will make you the representative of your people, however there is one other thing that I will need from you," Lucifer said as he hungrily eyed the World Savior strapped to Vega's back. "I would very much like to have that club on your back." Vega looked slightly troubled upon hearing this.

"I was going to use this to defeat my father," Vega said uncertainly.

"Your father will not stand a chance against me and I will allow you to deliver the killing blow all the same," Lucifer pushed on unperturbed. "I do not need an answer right now, but consider it."

"Very well your majesty," Vega sighed as walked off to join the others.

* * *

 **This has been the busiest fucking week for me. Between getting ready to go back to college, work, my idiotic little brother stealing my car, beating said idiot's ass, and that weird shit the doctor put in my eyes that made it so I couldn't see shit for the rest of the day the amount of time I was had to spend on this was drastically depleted. Updates are going to become less frequent and more sporadic once college starts up again in a few days. Just a fair warning. And as always...**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	32. Devil vs Antichrist

Chapter 31: Devil vs Antichrist

The Cardinal of Light sneered as he watched the coalition from afar. The area around the old fort was abuzz with activity in preparation for the battle with Jaldabaoth. The Eternal Legion's monstrous soldiers were marching towards Roble with Cocytus and Zaryusu leading the way, the teams were loading onto Skeleton Dragons, and that accursed vampire was lording over them all as if it was only natural for him to rule. His frustration increased tenfold when he saw the Cardinal of Darkness conversing with the Immortal Emperor.

 _That damn traitor! I knew he couldn't be trusted! NONE OF THEM CAN BE TRUSTED! It seems that I'll have to take matters into my own hands. I'll make my way into Roble and seek anything I can use against Lucifer Dracul that the Holy Kingdom heretics have hidden from the Theocracy. Assuming I survive this ordeal I will be made the new Archbishop for sure! If I die then the Six Great Gods will surely raise me up to rule in their divine realm at their sides for eternity._

With those thoughts in his head and foaming at the mouth, he headed towards the tunnel that one of the survivors that had arrived with Vega had mentioned. If they had managed to escape the city undetected that way then it he should be able to enter it undetected as well.

* * *

Lucifer chuckled as he watched the exchange between Ruvik and Avenir. Corvo had already mounted the Skeleton Dragon and was grumpily waiting for Avenir and Ruvik to come aboard while the other Black Scripture members led by Mori and Zur, who had shifted back to his human form for in order to keep the rest of the Black Scripture ignorant as to his true nature. The two blushing individuals in question, were babbling to each other insisting that the other could get on first and every time they looked each other in the eyes their respective blushes would become even redder.

"Excuse me your majesty?" a man called out from behind him. Lucifer turned around and found himself looking at the blue-haired man from the Katze Plains as well as the Demonic Disturbance.

"You are Brain Unglaus, correct?" Lucifer stated more than asked.

"That's me," Brain confirmed as he glanced over at Avenir and Ruvik with a slight frown.

"I suppose you have questions regarding Avenir?" Lucifer guessed upon noticing what Brain's gaze was directed towards.

"Yeah. I only recently found out that I had a daughter, so I would like to know how she became a vampire and how she ended up working for you," Brain informed the vampire.

"You care for her even if you have never even spoken to her?" Lucifer asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently. I guess I'd just like to see how much like her mother she is or maybe I'm just becoming emotional in my old age," Brain shrugged.

"Oh, please. You're nowhere near as old as I am," Lucifer joked, keeping up a mask of pleasantness.

"I guess you're right," Brain chuckled. "But in all seriousness, how did my daughter end up working for you? Hell, how did she ever even come into contact with you? All that I know is that she was born in the Slane Theocracy and that when the bishops learned that she was born with extraordinary abilities they tried to take her away to use her for the church. Her mother tried to stop them and they killed her in retaliation." Brain looked down in shame as he thought about how some woman he couldn't he even remember had surrendered her life in the defense of a child he hadn't even known that he had. "I should've been there."

 _Oh? He feels guilty. Perhaps I could use this to my advantage._

"Your daughter only started working with me fairly recently," Lucifer said. "Before I met her, she had been brought up by the church with the future captain of the Black Scripture, Ruvik, being the only constant in her life, which is what I believe to be part of her infatuation with him. Eventually, a few members of the Black Scripture, including Avenir herself, crossed my path and because of an unfortunate series of events we ended up attempting to kill each other. Your daughter was the only one who was smart enough to see that there was no conceivable way for them to overcome me so she simply surrendered. Upon her surrender she pleaded with me to spare Ruvik's life should I ever come into contact with him and offered her allegiance in return."

"I see. So after that you turned her into a vampire, huh?" Brain grimaced.

"Yes. Now Mr. Unglaus here's a question of my own: why are you asking me about her when you could ask her yourself?" Lucifer asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"What am I supposed to do? Walk over there and say "Hi my name is Brain Unglaus. Oh, by the way I'm your dad"? Yeah, somehow I don't see that working out," Brain scoffed.

"You'll never know unless you try, not that this is any of my concern," Lucifer interjected with a dismissive wave of his hand "However, if you ever did want to try to get to know your daughter, it might be difficult seeing as how she serves me and only people who serve me as well would have opportunities to interact with her. After all, how will you be able to "be there," as you put it, if something happens again?" Lucifer hid a smirk as he noticed the sour expression on Brain's face, but the smirk vanished when he noticed Vega marching over to Aura and Mare. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to finish my preparations." With that, Lucifer walked off, making sure that he was in range to overhear whatever may transpire between the three Dark Elves. Aura was berating Mare for who the hell knows what at this point when Vega approached them, instantly diverting Aura's attention.

"What's up?" Aura asked as the taller elf knelt down to their level.

"I would just like to hear you speak for yourselves in regards to what you think about the Immortal Emperor," Vega said.

"Lord Dracul is the best!" Aura exclaimed childishly as she raised her fist in the air.

"So he has treated you well?" Vega asked just to be sure.

"Y-y-yes," Mare stuttered out. "Lord Dracul has been r-really nice to us."

"I'm glad to hear it," Vega said as he knelt down to the twins' level and looked at them sternly. "I take it you two do not know of your heritage?"

"Huh?" Aura grunted as she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure Lord Dracul will inform you later, but know this. Should I fall in battle against Jaldabaoth's forces then you, my kin, will be the last hope for our people's future," Vega proclaimed solemnly as he stood up and walked over to his group, much to the dismay of Angela, who glared at the approaching Dark Elf.

"What was that about?" Aura asked as she turned towards Mare.

"I-I don't know," Mare stammered.

"What a weirdo."

* * *

"Oh, I hate being short!" Evileye cried as she jumped up and down trying to board the Skeleton Dragon, much to the amusement of Nabe, who had already mounted said creature. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, something large picked her up from behind and lifted her onto the dragon.

"If you're having so much trouble, you shouldn't hesitate to ask for help," Momon stated.

"Thanks Momon!" Evileye said happily.

"Not a problem. Also, if you are capable of flight magic then why didn't you use that to board the Skeleton Dragon?" Momon inquired as he too mounted the undead creature directly behind Evileye in order to separate her and Nabe.

"Oh, ah, well, because I wanted to save my mana for the coming battle!" Evileye exclaimed blushing under her mask.

 _Definitely not because I WANTED you to hold me. DEFINITELY not._

"I see. I suppose that makes sense," Momon replied with a nod.

"Are you ready, Momon?" Evileye asked.

"I was about to ask you."

"Of course I'm ready. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I was worried that you might not want to work with me now that you know my origins," Momon admitted in a slightly worried voice. Evileye swiveled around in order to face the armored behemoth.

"Look, I'll admit that knowing that you were created by Lucifer is a little freaky, but you're still the same man who saved my life back in Re-Estize!" Evileye declared.

"I see. Thank you Evileye, that means a lot to me," Momon said warmly.

"I-it's not a big deal," Evileye stammered out as a blush worked its way onto her face.

"I do apologize for breaking up such a heartwarming moment but now really isn't the time," Lucifer called out to the two of them, eliciting a snicker out of Nabe, before turning his attention to the rest of the teams. "This is it! Today will either mark the end of Jaldabaoth or the end of humanity! You all know what you must do, now get it done!"

* * *

Zesshi glared at her troops as they burned down yet another elven village. She didn't care about the elves, she didn't care if they were eradicated, she didn't care if they were enslaved, she didn't care if they escaped, she just didn't care. The reason for her displeasure was that they did this every time they found an elven village and it took hours to round up all the elves, collect their valuables, and burn down their homes. To Zesshi this was an annoying delay. Every minute they wasted here was another minute she could spend getting to the Elf King. She wanted her revenge and she wanted that bastard dead. She didn't care what happened to the rest of the elves after that. She DID however care about the fact that this was keeping her from her revenge.

"Lady Zesshi," a soldier spoke up from behind, the one who had taken command after his predecessor's disappearance that had definitely absolutely nothing to Zesshi's anger management issues. "We've rounded up the last of the remaining elves but several of them managed to escape captivity. Should we pursue them?"

"Don't bother," Zesshi ordered. "They aren't our mission anyway. Any who escape will probably die out anyway. Tell the troops that we move out in twenty minutes. At this rate it will take us about a week until we arrive at the Elven Capitol and I want my hands wrapped around the Elf King's throat sooner rather than later."

"Yes milady!" the soldier saluted. "You heard her men! We move out in twenty minutes and we're not heading back to the Humanika without the Elf King's head on a pike!"

* * *

Cocytus, Zaryusu, and Kabein stood facing the flames that surrounded the Holy City of Roble as of an army of Death Knights, Dark Paladins, Vampire Knights, Skull Knights, and Elder Liches organized themselves behind the two of them under the direction of General Kabein. Cocytus had large menacing weapons in all four hands, Zaryusu was clad in adamantite armor made by dwarves, and Kabein wore new spiky black armor with a red variant of the Eternal Empire's skull-like emblem emblazoned on his chest and had a black fur mantle overtop a crimson cloak. After the battle at Katze Plains, if you could call it that, most of the Imperial Knights either resigned, became average city guards, or were assigned to assist the refugees from the Draconic Kingdom and provide security for Queen Draudillon. When Kabein was told that Lucifer Dracul had requested his presence he didn't expect to come out of that meeting alive. Surprisingly however, Lucifer had wanted to offer him a place in the Eternal Legion. Apparently the Immortal Emperor had gone through the service records of notable commanding officers of the former Baharuth Empire and had recognized Kabein's talent for commanding his soldiers and giving them high morale. Lucifer had acknowledged him as a "talented mortal" and gave him a high ranking position as the newest General in the Legion. He was skeptical about Lucifer's claims that he saw all "mortals" as equals when he had creatures like Demiurge, Cocytus, and Albedo running his empire, but as he became familiar with them he came to realize just how talented they were. High General Cocytus was the single greatest field commander he had ever seen and a was a warrior with amazing combative prowess to a degree that many who saw his skill in wielding four blades thought that he might be a God of War. Director Demiurge was a master of strategy, psychological warfare, and the management of covert operations, and finally there was Albedo who was expected to be giving birth within the month. She scared the hell out of him whenever she had a mood swing, which could only be calmed by the presence of the Immortal Emperor and when most women would be stuck in bed at this stage of pregnancy she was still running around handling administration, policies, laws, and all manner of domestic governing. It had made Kabein fully realize that Lucifer truly didn't care what you are, all he cared about was if you were useful. Cocytus and Zaryusu were at the head of the formation, ready to lead the army into battle while Kabein rode around on horseback ordering the legionnaires into formation.

"Sir, could you remind me why we are engaging the enemy out here?" Zaryusu inquired.

"Lord. Dracul. Has. Insisted. That. The. Battle. With. Jaldabaoth's. Minions. Be. Fought. Outside. The. City. In. Order. To. Keep. The. Majority. Of. The. Fighting. Away. From. Any. Survivors. And. Minimize. The. Interference. The. Teams. That. Are. Infiltrating. The. City. Will. Encounter," Cocytus informed his protégé.

"You said that Jaldabaoth used to serve Lord Dracul, what is he like?" Zaryusu asked.

"Overconfident. Cowardly. And. Arrogant. He. Always. Believed. That. He. Was. Chosen. To. End. What. He. Referred. To. As. Inferior. Beings. And. Will. See. This. As. An. Opportunity. To. Prove. That. He. Is. Superior. To. The. Supreme. One. While. Sending. His. Minions. At. Us. In. Order. To. Keep. Us. Away. From. His. Fight. With. Our. Lord," Cocytus boomed.

"I see, so Lord Dracul intends to use Jaldabaoth's pride against him?" Zaryusu stated more than asked.

"Yes. Knowing. Jaldabaoth. He. Will. Not. Care. What. Happens. Out. Here. As. Long. As. We. Are. Kept. Away," Cocytus confirmed. "He. Will. Likely. Send. Out. His. Demon. Hordes. Out. To. Attack. Us. Without. Any. Strategy. In. Mind. Although. We. Have. Advantage. In. Terms. Of. Strategy. And. Strength. The. Demons. Have. A. Numerical. Advantage. So. Be. Alert. Conserve. Your. Energy. And. Don't. Let. Yourself. Get. Swarmed."

"So that's why the army is gathered behind us, correct?" Zaryusu surmised as he glanced at the formation the Eternal Legion had taken. The legionnaires had formed a long curved wall in order to keep any demons who managed to get past Cocytus or Zaryusu from escaping.

"Yes. You. And. I. Will. Be. The. First. Line. Of. Defense. Kabein. Will. Direct. Our. Forces. From. The. Back. In. Order. To. Keep. As. Many. Of. The. Demons. From. Fleeing. Into. The. Countryside. As. Possible," Cocytus declared.

"Speaking of demons," Zaryusu spoke up as he pointed at the Holy City. From the flames that surrounded the city emerged an enormous army of numerous types of demons. The larger demons stomped forward roaring and bellowing as the smaller demons howled, screeched, and jeered in sharp contrast to the silent undead army. Zaryusu drew Frost Pain and pointed it at the enemy while Cocytus flourished four enormous broadswords.

"Make ready!" Kabein bellowed. The Death Knights and Skull Knights responded by using their massive shields to form a shield wall with enough space in between their shields for them to stab forward with their swords as the Elder Liches took to the air to provide aerial support with their spells. The Dark Paladins spread out behind the shield wall in case any of the enemies managed to get past the knights while their smaller counterparts, the Vampire Knights, joined Cocytus and Zaryusu up at the front. The demons, taking notice of the army of the undead that awaited them, started charging towards the Eternal Legion in a frenzy. There was no planning, no clever tactics, and no thought as the demons screeched and threw themselves at the enemy. It was as if someone had opened a floodgate and allowed everything it had been holding back to spill forth in a surge of violence and bloodlust. With the stat boosts that had been applied by the Evil Lords to all the demons improving their combat abilities, the demons were much stronger than when they employed during the Demonic Disturbance. The lower level spawns, such as the Imps, Gazer Devils, Hellhounds, and Demons Swarms were the first to charge towards the Eternal Legion giggling manically and jeering closely followed by the Devourers and Vashiks. Vashiks were large humanoid demons with heads much like that of a black four horned goat with yellow eyes and were always baring their jagged sharp teeth. Their muscular upper bodies were clad in studded black leather armor and their arms were wrapped in barbed wire while their legs were those of a black goat and they were wielding spiked morning stars, flail maces, angular sickles, vicious looking war axes, and serrated machetes. As the lower level demons engaged the Vampire Knights in a vicious melee, the larger creatures tried to break through the shield wall only to be met with fierce resistance. Cocytus found himself locked in an intense duel with three Devourers and a Vashik. Unfortunately for the demons, Cocytus was the finest swordsman there was and since he had a weapon in all four of his hands he found such opponents to be child's play. Have you ever seen the Star Wars prequels? Cocytus here was pulling some General Grievous shit on these assholes. The massive insectoid continued to carve through the approaching demons like an unstoppable whirlwind of sharp metal and any who managed to get close enough to him to land a hit on him were frozen by the constant freezing mist. Zaryusu eliminated whatever demons he could and froze the ones couldn't kill by using Frost Pain's special abilities leaving them for Cocytus. As he cut down another Vashik, Cocytus glanced up at the smoke covered sky and, with his advanced perception, sensed several undead creatures flying overhead.

 _Phase. Two. Has. Begun._

* * *

Prince Zanac paced back and forth in his father's….no….HIS throne room. He and the remaining nobles was holding a conference with the remaining loyal nobles, all of whom were members of the Noble Faction, led by Count Ritton and Marquis Raeven. The Royal Faction was practically dissolved as a result of many of them fleeing the Kingdom, collaborating the National Liberation Party, or being killed out of anger as people hunted nobles down for supporting a king who had led countless people into the single biggest military disaster in the history of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Over the last few months, countless more nobles had been killed, including more members of the royal family such as Renner's two older sisters and even any other extended family. Nobody knew who was committing these murders, but a few witnesses had claimed that they had seen a man in a skull mask carry out the hits. For some reason, however, Zanac hadn't been informed of these developments until recently and in his paranoia he had ordered that at least ten royal guards be with him at all times.

"Have we received any word from Ijaniya?" Zanac demanded.

"Yes, your majesty," Ritton replied smugly. "Although their attempt to kill your sister was thwarted by members of the National Liberation Party, they have tracked her to E-Pespel and have begun searching for her. I have no doubt that they will eliminate that brat and deprive the National Liberation Party of its figurehead."

"Good. Good," Zanac sighed as he held a hand to his pudgy face. If Renner was killed, the National Liberation Party would lose support, make many current members abandon the rebellion, and would make it easier to root them out. "What of all the mercenaries we've hired?"

"After I took possession of every several deceased nobles' fortunes, I hired every worker, mercenary, and bandit I could and have been paying them to keep the commoners in line," Ritton smirked. "Since the National Liberation Party fled the city a few months ago, we have wiped out every other rebel cell within Re-Estize, so the capital is secure. All that's left is to tie up loose ends, which we can truly undertake once Renner is dead." Several nobles let out sighs of relief and started cheering.

"It's about damn time."

"Things are finally going our way again, as it should be."

"Meh."

"Filthy commoners. To think that they would that they would rise above their station and cause us so much trouble. We need to put them back in their place."

"Indeed. It's time the natural order finally reasserted itself."

Raeven managed to keep himself from scoffing at these delusional fools who were desperately trying to save a sinking ship even though, whether they liked it or not, the ship had already sunk and they just hadn't realized it yet. When Ritton said "the capitol is secure" he failed to mention that Re-Estize had essentially become a ghost town now that most of the peasants had fled the city and that the cutthroats the Noble Faction had hired were running around all over the city doing whatever they want. Any semblance of civility that had once existed in the Kingdom's capitol had completely vanished.

 _It's unfortunate that this had to happen, but Lord Dracul's will is law._

"Your majesty, what should we do about the Immortal Emperor?" Raeven spoke up. At the mention of the vampire who was responsible for the current state of the Re-Estize Kingdom, the atmosphere in the room went from elated to a mixture of depressed, angry, and fearful.

"We can't do anything," Zanac admitted with a bitter expression on his face. "Lucifer Dracul is an enemy we cannot even hope to defeat, especially given the current state of the Kingdom. With our country divided as it is we wouldn't be able to amass an army of any size and the mercenaries we hired, however greedy they may be, are not foolish enough to confront the Immortal Emperor."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I agree," Ritton commented. "That filthy undead abomination is truly a monster worthy of the title of Antichrist. The power he displayed at Katze Plains makes one think of the legends of the Six Great Gods and the Eight Greed Kings."

"Our best bet is to appease him and keep his attention off of us until the Slane Theocracy inevitably makes their move against him," Raeven announced.

"Then what?" a noblewoman asked.

"Pray to whatever gods you believe in that the Theocracy wins," Ritton grumbled. "If they fail then it will mark the end of humanity's rule and it will only be a matter of time until the Eternal Empire swallows up the rest of the world."

"Should we prepare to assist the Theocracy when the time comes?" Zanac suggested.

"If Gazef or Blue Rose still served us then I would agree, but with the Kingdom divided then there is no guarantee we can get them to work with us when the Theocracy finally challenges that accursed vampire and without them then we really don't stand a chance against the Eternal Legion, even less so the Immortal Emperor himself," Raeven said.

"Agreed," Ritton sighed. "I hate to admit it, but that bastard has us completely outmatched."

"We can't even rely on Razor Edge now. Ever since the Battle of Katze Plains when Gazef handed his sword over before surrendering to Lucifer it has been in the hands of Renner's lapdog: Climb," Zanac fumed.

"Let's hope it doesn't prove to be a problem for Ijaniya," Raeven said, knowing full well that it wouldn't make a difference.

* * *

Gondo was ecstatic to finally get to see the Eternal Empire. He and the Runesmiths were part of a caravan being protected by Death Knights that had almost arrived at their destination: Carne Village. Although the presence of the undead creatures made them slightly uneasy, they were kept calm by the knowledge that Lucifer Dracul wanted them to work for him and by Gondo's elation. It was hard to be anxious about the situation with the way Gondo was displaying his newfound positive outlook. They had gotten so used to his excited ramblings that they almost didn't notice when he tried to get their attention.

"Hey! There's someone in the middle of the road!" Gondo shouted. Sure enough, lying face down in the middle of the road was a feminine figure in rags. Two Death Knights immediately converged on the unconscious woman in order to deal with the possible threat closely followed by Gondo and a few other dwarves who wanted to make to make sure she was alright.

"She's still breathing!" one of the dwarves shouted as he and his friend lifted her by her shoulders.

"Do you think she's a citizen of the Immortal Emperor?" the other dwarf asked nervously.

"If she is, then what is she doing this far from Nazarick?" Gondo murmured as he brushed the girl's blonde hair out of her face. That's when he finally noticed the ears. "She's an elf?"

"What should we do Gondo? She's beat up pretty bad," a red bearded dwarf spoke up.

"We can't just leave her here. Load her up onto the cart! We'll take her to a priest when we arrive at Carne Village!" Gondo ordered.

* * *

Three dozen Skeleton Dragons soared through the smog filled sky, seven of them were carrying the teams that were assigned to face the Evil Lords while the rest were there to protect the teams from any interference on Jaldabaoth's part.

"We are approaching the drop sites!" Momon shouted over the wind. "Is everyone ready?"

"You can count on us, Momon!" Evileye proclaimed.

"R-ready!" Climb cried with a sickly expression on his face.

"Hang in there Sir Climb," Sebas consoled him. "Once we're on the ground I'm certain your motion sickness will subside."

"Let's get this over with," Corvo growled. Mori didn't say a word as his eyes narrowed. He could've sworn he saw something moving through the smoke ahead. As the got closer and closer to the city, Mori was finally able to make out the shape of a large, dragon-like abomination with rib-like spikes jutting out from their bodies at awkward angles.

"Is that a Stygius?" he muttered to himself. His eyes widened when not one Stygius, but five Stygi emerged from the smoke closely followed by dozens of other Stygi, their light-green glowing eyes fixed on the Skeleton Dragons and flames dancing within their maws dripping with molten material.

"Here they come!" Mori yelled just as the bright orange flames of the Stygi collided with the dark purple flames of the Skeleton Dragons. In the midst of the chaos, the seven Skeleton Dragons carrying the teams swooped down to the city of Roble and hovered just above the buildings for their passengers to jump off. Most of the groups managed to do so without any trouble, but a few of the Skeleton Dragons were knocked off balance by the Stygi attacks with Momon's group's being one of them. Evileye and Nabe used flight magic to hover safely to the ground while Momon expertly spun through the air and landed on his feet leaving a dent where he landed.

"Are you alright Momon?" Evileye asked as the armored behemoth unsheathed the swords on his back.

"I'm fine, but I suggest you turn your attention to what's ahead of us," Momon responded as he flourished his swords and prepared for battle. Evileye turned to where Momon was looking to see a mob of Gazer Devils, Hellhounds, and Vashiks.

"[Twin Maximize Magic: Chain Lightning]!" Nabe shouted as a stream of lightning erupted from her hands and engulfed the enemy.

"[Maximize Magic: Shard Buck Shots]!" Evileye cried as countless crystal shards were flung at the demons, stabbing them, cutting them, eviscerating them, impaling them, or harming them in other ways. Momon shot forward like an arrow and began cutting a swath of death and destruction through the demon horde like a whirlwind of sharp metal as he started working his way to the Vashiks. The sounds of combat echoed throughout the city as, just not Momon's group, but all the groups began encountering some form of resistance.

* * *

The entirety of the Great Forest of Tob shook as Mortis landed, although calling it a forest was rather inaccurate. Most of the trees were gone and structures of an architectural design he had never seen before covered the land. Someone was building a massive city here. Construction, however, had temporarily ceased seeing as how he had just landed in front of a heavily fortified structure and was now looking down at several women dressed as maids being led by a woman wearing a kimono who was playfully twirling a katana.

"Hello there," she greeted. "My name is Aureole Omega, and these are my fellow members of the Pleiades: Yuri Alpha, CZ Delta, and Entoma Zeta. We are servants of the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul."

"Hello human. I am Mortis, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord," Mortis announced. "Care to explain why you and your little friends were so brave or stupid enough to come out here and stand before me?"

"That's easy. It's because you're trespassing in the territory of the Immortal Emperor and so it's only natural that we have to detain you for questioning," Omega replied as if there was nothing wrong with that statement before turning her attention to the WCI chained around his neck. Her eyes widened momentarily as she recognized it as Five Elements Overcoming. "That is a very beautiful scroll you have around your neck. I'm sure my master will forgive this offense if you hand it over." Mortis's eyes narrowed when he heard the human woman mention his scroll.

 _Do they perhaps know what it? I do not know who this Lucifer Dracul is, but I will NOT let him put his hands on MY scroll._

"You'll have to pry it from my rotting corpse!" Mortis roared as he spewed fire at the group of women only for Entoma to jump in front of the flames and use her Hard Armor Bug to block the flames.

 _Impossible! How is that small creature able to block my flames with nothing but a shield?_

Mortis swung his claws down at the woman only to be blocked by Yuri's fists. He couldn't believe his eyes. Even if she was struggling, how was this small creature able to match his strength? It didn't make any sense. He didn't have time to contemplate this however as his wings was suddenly bombarded by high velocity rounds from CZ's assault rifle crippling him and preventing him from escaping causing the massive dragon to growl in pain. Taking advantage of the beast's distraction as CZ continued to shoot at the overgrown lizard, Yuri delivered eight devastating blows to each of the dragon's limbs while Omega rushed forward, cut through the chain around Mortis's neck, and, before he could react, grabbed Five Elements Overcoming.

"Filthy creatures!" Mortis bellowed. "You will suffer for that!"

"Aw, I think we hurt his feelings," Entoma said in a mockingly sweet tone as summoned her Thousand Whip Bug and unleashed a flurry of strikes. Mortis, livid at how these arrogant creatures dared to take what was his, decided he had enough of these women let out an earthshaking roar as he became enveloped in a dark aura.

"Enough! [Wild Magic: Dark St-"

"[Purifying Javelin]!" a female voice shouted as a projectile tore through Mortis. The massive dragon let out a roar of pain that could be heard from E-Rantel. Never before in his mind bogglingly long existence had he felt such pain. He turned his ferocious gaze to face the vermin who DARED to confront and found himself staring down a short vampire clad in crimson armor and wielding some sort of lance.

"My, my," Shalltear smirked as she stepped forward brandishing Spuit Lance. "I finally get back from the Dwarf Kingdom expecting to find construction to be nearly complete but instead I find the Pleiades goofing off with an overgrown lizard."

* * *

Jircniv, Albedo, and Lucifer stared out at the city of Roble observing the vicious conflict happening just outside the city between his undead legion and the demon hordes, the battle for air superiority between the Stygi and his Skeleton Dragons, and finally, what Lucifer had been waiting for, the signs of fights breaking out within the city.

"My lord," Albedo spoke up. "Is it time for you to confront the traitor, Jaldabaoth?"

"Indeed it is, Albedo," Lucifer confirmed with a nod as he began to hover off the ground. "Return to Nazarick and await my return. Jaldabaoth will die before the sun rises."

"Good luck my lord," Jircniv lied through gritted teeth, secretly hoping that his master and Jaldabaoth would kill each other. "I pray for your victory."

[Demiurge, it's time. Send out the seven Evil Lords and prepare yourself. I will be above the Grand Cathedral.]

[As you say my lord.]

And with that, Lucifer took off and began flying towards the city, only stopping once he was directly above the Grand Cathedral, or what was left of it, and after clearing his throat and magically amplifying his voice so that everyone could hear him, he opened his mouth.

"Jaldabaoth!" he shouted, causing every head in the city, human, demon, or otherwise to turn towards him. "Your master has arrived! Come out and face a traitor's death!"

"Lord Dracul, is that really the appropriate way to greet an old friend?" came a familiar condescending voice from about 30 meters behind, whose voice was also magically amplified so that everyone could hear their conversation. Lucifer turned his cold smile towards the masked face of Jaldabaoth, clad in a black suit and a cloak made from Angela's feathers, who gave a mocking bow.

"Lord Dracul, it's a pleasure to see your esteemed form once again," Jaldabaoth sneered. "How long has it been? Nearly 800 years, correct? Although I suppose it seems like a much shorter amount of time considering how we were sealed away. You seal me away with that accursed ritual and you get sealed away by the very same ritual by a couple of human loving fools. Ironic isn't it?"

"Yes, very ironic," Lucifer replied with a roll of his eyes.

"We do not have to be enemies my lord. Join me and we can wipe out the scum of humanity together and take our rightful place as their rulers!"

"I'll have to decline. Wiping out an entire species seems to be a terrible waste."

"I had a feeling you would say that," Jaldabaoth admitted in an exaggeratedly disappointed sigh. "I will ever understand your compassion for mankind."

"No, I don't expect you would," Lucifer responded coldly. "I'll make this simple for you. Surrender now and I'll make your death quick and painless. Don't, and I will ensure you spend your afterlife in eternal suffering."

"I'm flattered that you would put in so much effort on my behalf," Jaldabaoth said mockingly. "Do allow me to put up some form of resistance."

"I'd expect nothing less," Lucifer smirked.

"[Evil Overload]!"

"[Zebel Blast]!"

When the black energy of [Zebel Blast] collided with red energy of [Evil Overload], the resulting explosion shook the heavens and the earth, instantly clearing the smoke that hung over Roble and sending several Skeleton Dragons and Stygi crashing to the ground. The shockwave was felt in the city as the smaller demons were sent flying, a few of the taller building tipped over and crumbled to the streets, the teams struggled not to be blown back, and every single mirror, window, or any other object made of glass shattered.

* * *

"Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Brain yelled as he grabbed onto a nearby wall in an attempt not be thrown around by the tornado-like winds. Climb was sent flying outright and wouldn't have been able to save himself if it wasn't for Sebas, who stood like a rock, grabbing him.

"This is crazy!" Climb cried. "By the time their fight is finished there might not be a city left to save!"

* * *

"Most impressive, lord Dracul!" Jaldabaoth proclaimed mockingly. "I trust you didn't put too much effort into that attack just now, did you?"

"I was afraid you needed to warm up so I had back a bit," Lucifer verbally jabbed right back. With their small mocking session over, Lucifer became engulfed in a black aura while Jaldabaoth was engulfed and the two of them suddenly shot towards each other and began colliding again and again and again. To those on the ground, it like looked like glowing orbs of black and red were flying all over the sky and repeatedly ramming into each other at a speed that the human eye could not follow.

* * *

Corvo, Ruvik, and Avenir marched straight past the demons, who simply ignored them, and into a nearby destroyed home. Inside, the Evil Lord Lust awaited them while sipping on some tea that had been laid out for her and her guests.

"Lord Attano, it is such a pleasure to see you again," Lust cooed in a seductive voice as she gazed lustfully at the grumpy Vengeful Spirit. "With all due respect, let me just say that you're looking very handsome today."

"Uh huh," Corvo grunted as he sat next to her while Ruvik and Avenir sat next to each other on the opposite side of the table.

"Avenir, looking good. Have your boobs gotten bigger? Shalltear is going to be jeeeeeealoooooous," Lust greeted the young vampire, eliciting a blush and nonsensical stammers from her. Finally, Lust turned her attention to Ruvik. "That's a big spear ya got there cutie. You compensating for something?"

"No I'm not!" Ruvik denied with a blush.

"No he isn't!" Avenir cried before realizing what she just said, turning even redder, and pulling her large black hat down over her face.

"Oh, yeah? Then prove it!" Lust exclaimed as she grabbed Ruvik's ridiculously long hair and pulled on it to force his face into her boobs that were big enough to make Albedo jealous. Ruvik struggled to escape but Lust wouldn't let him, that is, until Corvo flicked her on the forehead and got everyone's attention.

"Enough. We don't have time to be playing around," Corvo cut in before things could escalate.

"Boo. You're no fun, Corvo," Lust pouted as she pulled a document out from between her tits and handed it to Ruvik. "If you want Lord Dracul to make your wish come true then you're going to have to do as you're told. These are instructions that our lord wrote out for you. Do not fail Lord Dracul and NEVER tell ANYONE the truth about what's been going on. Understood?"

"Yes," Ruvik replied curtly after stealing a quick glance at a nervous Avenir.

"Good. Now we can either go look for Loginus or we can go down to the basement and have an orgy!" Lust proclaimed cheerfully with a fist in the air.

"We shall commence our search for Loginus immediately," Corvo deadpanned as he stood up, closely followed by a blushing Ruvik and Avenir.

"Wait for me! Why does no one love me?" Lust cried as she let out fake sobs for a few moments before turning dead serious. "You get that sexy undead ass back here."

"Ruvik?" Avenir whimpered.

"Yeah?" Ruvik responded shakily.

"I'm scared."

"Me too, Avenir. Me too."

* * *

Gargan swung her war pick, Fel Iron, down onto the last Hellhound killing it instantly.

"Is that all of them?" Gargan asked.

"I think so!" Tina shouted back.

"Ditto!" Tia chimed in.

"Good work everyone, now we should focus on finding Jaldabaoth's lieutenants!" Lakyus declared.

"How can you be sure we'll find one?" Gargan inquired.

"With all the noise we just made fighting these demons, I think they'll be the ones finding us," Lakyus said with a smirk.

"Clever little humans," a gurgling voice commented from up around the corner. Blue Rose took up fighting stances as the bloated form of Gluttony rounded the corner on his spider-like legs. "My, my. You all look delicious, especially the big one. Yes, I could eat you up. In fact, I think I will." With that said, Gluttony opened his mouths and started spewing acid all over the place.

"Gross," Tina deadpanned.

* * *

Zur, Mori, Oras, Cedran, Garuna, and Kuaiesse were inside a chapel inside the Holy Palace looking for Loginus, as per the secret orders that the Cardinal of Darkness had given them were. The temple was in shambles. Holy symbols were desecrated, altars destroyed, furniture and windows shattered, not to mention the blood that was all over the place.

"Have you guys found anything?" Kuaiesse asked as he brushed some of his blonde hair out of his face.

"I'm afraid not," Mori replied.

"Nothing," Cedran grunted as Garuna and Zur shook their heads.

"This is dumb!" Oras complained. "We're the Black Scripture! We should be fighting demons and the Immortal Emperor instead of rummaging through palaces looking for artifacts." Cedran cringed at the thought of the Immortal Emperor. Once the unholy energy had been purged from his body and he had finally been revived, the others brought him up to speed on current events. The moment he heard that the father of all vampires had begun taking over the world he was up in arms and was ready to take the fight to the unholy, but it turned out that the situation was more complicated than that. The Slane Theocracy FULLY intended to destroy Lucifer Dracul, but his power was on a level that even the Six Great Gods couldn't take him on in a fair fight. They had to play it smart, he understood that. But no matter what happened, he would do his best to protect his comrades. He hoped Kaire, who was like a mother to him, wouldn't be bedridden much longer. Her wounds had been purified at long last and she was regaining her strength, but her old age was causing her recovery to take more time. Time they weren't sure that they had. The Eternal Empire was swallowing up countries left and right. It was only a matter of time before Father Blood set his sights on the Theocracy and attempted to exterminate them.

"Calm yourself Oras," Mori said in his usual sage-like voice. "Finding and using Loginus is our best chance to defeat the Immortal Emperor."

"I can beat him! If I just used my [Stop Time] I could-"

"Don't be foolish," Zur said in a scathing tone. "Did you learn nothing from your fight with Corvo? Your precious ability is NOT perfect."

"The hell you say?

"If Corvo, who can't even use magic, can negate your [Stop Time] then how easy do you think it will be for the Immortal Emperor?" Oras didn't like what Zur was saying but he also couldn't refute it so he simply let out an unhappy huff.

"Smart old man," came a rasping voice from behind them. They turned around to see Sloth take long, lanky steps into the room with his long crooked arms dragging across the floor do to the extremity of his slouch. The moment he entered the room, they could feel the room get colder and colder, the kind of cold that makes you sleepy. The members of the Black Scripture, except Zur who was secretly an undead, could feel their limbs become heavy and they struggled to keep their eyes open, but not a single one of them fell asleep. "Still awake? Let me remedy that. [Create Sandman]." As those words left Sloth's mouth, a tall, lanky creature wearing a dark brown trench coat, torn tan pants, a fedora, and a backpack with body parts sticking out it appeared wielding a bloodied pickaxe. It turned its face towards them revealing a twisted grin, a ridiculously long pointed nose, dirty shoulder-length red hair, and empty eye sockets that sand never stopped pouring from. The only noise it made as it lunged at them was heavy breathing.

* * *

Sebas blocked yet another strike from Greed's scythe with his forearm. There had been no conversation or monologue when the Greed found the three of them, just a shared look of determination between the demon and the Dragonoid followed by a brutal melee. Climb and Brain tried their best to help Sebas, but ultimately Climb proved to be practically useless against the powerful entity while Freddon and Brain, although strong by this world's standard's, were only capable of distracting the demon.

"Not bad. For a human, that is," Greed growled at Sebas as he once again "attempted" to slice through Nazarick's butler. Sebas didn't say word as the two of them reengaged in a vicious melee.

"Brain," Climb spoke up. "Do you ever get the feeling that you're completely useless?"

"Increasingly," Brain sighed.

"You get used to it," Freddon shrugged as he wiped some sweat from his forehead.

* * *

The Cardinal of Light couldn't believe what he was doing, rummaging around some filthy sewers like a peasant, only able to see because of the light that shined through the sewer grates, getting his robes dirty and smelly, hell, doing manual labor. That's what servants and soldiers were for! Still, if he was to ensure that whatever Dracul was planning failed then he would have to take matters into his own hands. What was he going to do? Well, he hadn't thought that far ahead.

 _The Six Gods will protect me and guide me. How could they not? I am the Cardinal of Light!_

Just as that thought ran through his head, he heard an explosion nearby. Peering through one of the grates, and staying as silent as he could, he could see Gazef, Fluder, Baziwood, Nimble, and Leinas fighting Envy in the street right across from the Holy Palace.

 _Leave it to those who are less important to fight for their betters._

Just as he started to trudge on, he felt his foot hit something. Afraid it was a trap, he immediately looked down in fear and saw…..

 _Truly, this is proof that the gods favor me._

His face split into a psychotic grin as he bent down to pick the object up.

"Your days are numbered Lucifer Dracul."

* * *

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Evileye cried as Wrath made a B-line for her.

"You won't escape me this time puny human!" Wrath roared as he swiped his massive claws at the diminutive vampire. Before Evileye could react or make any move to defend herself, a gigantic black blade courtesy of Momon deflected Wrath's attack. "Get out of my way human!"

"Perhaps you should stop paying so much attention to a single person and pay more attention to your surroundings," Momon stated calmly. Wrath's eyes widened momentarily as he caught sight of Nabe in his peripheral vision.

"[Maximize Magic: Lightning]!" she chanted, unleashing a powerful thunderbolt upon the demon causing him roar in pain.

"It doesn't matter!" Wrath bellowed. "One human! Two humans! A million humans! I'll kill you all!"

* * *

"Dancssssssssse feeble humansssssssss, dancsssssssse!" Pride laughed as the tentacles on his back lashed out at Angela, Vega, and Zenberu. Vega was having some difficulty keeping up with an entity this powerful with nothing but his war axes and the only thing that had allowed him to narrowly evade Pride's attacks several times had been his extensive knowledge of martial arts. Angela, although just as skilled as Vega, was struggling as she was still adjusting to her lack of wings while Zenberu was unable to land a single blow. Overall they were horribly outmatched, but their objective had never been to win. Their only purpose was to survive and stall the demons.

"[Holy Nova]!" Angela cried as she created yet another explosion of holy energy in an attempt to hurt Pride but he simply laughed it off and smacked her away with one of his inky black tentacles sending tumbling across the street. As she struggled to stand to her feet, she looked up at the night sky and watched the black and red auras of Jaldabaoth and Lucifer clash again and again.

 _Lucifer Dracul, vampire or not, you had better not let that damn demon win!_

* * *

Lucifer let out a sinister cackle as he and Jaldabaoth collided once again, his usual cold smirk replaced by a full-fledged evil grin. The damage they had inflicted upon each other was minimal but they were certainly making a good show out of it moving lightning fast and releasing shockwaves that shook the earth each time they collided. However, now that everyone had engaged the enemy, it was time to start the main event. The vampire and the demon collided one more time before backing off and putting a considerable distance between each other.

"[Triple Maximize Magic: Hemorrhagic Spear]!" Lucifer exclaimed as three large, dark red spikes that appeared to be made of frozen blood appeared around him and shot towards Jaldabaoth, who countered with a spell of his own.

"[Evil Overload]! [Evil Ray]!" Jaldabaoth countered, using the resulting explosion to knock the spikes off course and away from his before following up with a counterattack.

"[Wall of Skeletons]!" Lucifer chanted, summoning a literal wall of skeletons hiding him from view as well as protecting him from the blast.

"[Aspect of the Devil: Archdemon's Wrist]!" Jaldabaoth roared with grim satisfaction as his fist enlarged and crashed through the [Wall of Skeletons]. However, his sense of satisfaction almost instantly disappeared as the debris from his attack, mostly bits of bone that had gone flying all over the place, cleared and Lucifer was nowhere to be found. Just before he could spin around to look for Lucifer, the vampire tackled him from behind sending them both crashing into the top floor of ruined Holy Palace.

"Well, I don't think any of them are close enough to hear us," Lucifer stated calmly as he got off of Jaldabaoth and walked past the "Hellmouth" (disguised [Gate]) and sat down on the deceased Queen Hope's throne. "Has everything gone according to plan?"

"For the most part, my lord," Jaldabaoth replied as he straightened his suit and bowed. "My demons have ravaged the entirety of the Holy Kingdom, while making sure to preserve most of the infrastructure for our use later of course, making sure to butcher every single last high ranking government official so that even if Ms. Pious tries to back out of your agreement now, there really isn't anyone left capable of running the country. Lusst has made the appropriate arrangements with Ruvik to solidify the arrangements he and Avenir made during the Diet, though I won't comment on the other Unfortunately, despite searching through every location where it would logical to hide Loginus, even searching the homes of high ranking government officials and priests, we could not find it. Forgive me my lord."

"I see," Lucifer sighed. "Question Hope about it later. I don't particularly care what happens to it as long as it is not in the hands of our enemy. Despite the extensive security that usually surrounds me, there is a slight chance of an assassin managing to eliminate me if they're lucky and are able to get close enough to use that infernal thing."

"As you say my lord. However, we did manage to gain some useful information from a shipyard in one of the coastal cities," Demiurge reported as he handed over a document marked with a symbol that belonged to none of the surrounding countries. "It seems that the Holy Kingdom is engaged in some overseas trading, albeit a miniscule amount. The two countries involved have had very little contact with each other and only met about three years ago. It seems that the knowledge of another country overseas is not common knowledge here and has been kept secret by order of Queen Hope due to religious differences.

"I see," Lucifer murmured, although he hadn't actually been listening. He had stopped listening the moment he laid eyes on the symbol.

 _That symbol is the goddamn Imperial Crest from the Elder Scrolls! Motherfucking Tamriel is on this planet!? Whatever let's see what the letter says._

Honorable Queen Hope Paradis Pious,

I hope this letter finds you well and that the Holy Kingdom continues to thrive. The enchanted weapons you sent have made a significant difference in the Empire's war against the Aldmeri Dominion. However, war is breaking out on an increasing number of fronts and those weapons are critical in allowing us to push the fight back to the Summerset Isles. Emperor Titus Mede II promises to personally thank you and triple trading with your kingdom once this war is won.

Humbly, General Hasone Dorerius, commander of the 8th Legion

 _So the Great War is underway during this time period. That means there's about 25 years until the events of Skyrim. Since that's the only Elder Scrolls game that I've ever played or know jack shit about, then that would be the perfect time to try to take over Tamriel. That's 25 ears to assert my dominance over this land and concoct a plan to take over. The only variable that will be hard to account for will be the Dragonborn's actions. Whatever! Once again I have a quarter of a century to make an appropriate plan._

"For the now we will avoid making contact with this "Tamriel" and focus on this continent for the time being. I will inform you when it is time to make our move."

"Very well milord. But what shall we do if any of them try to come over here?"

"Capture them, interrogate them, and eliminate them. We'll make an excuse when the time comes."

"As you decree. But what should be done about our current scenario? We do want these pathetic mortals to witness the defeat of Jaldabaoth, correct?"

"Trust me Demiurge," Lucifer smirked. "I'm quite certain that we will have everyone's attention. But for now we should ensure that you look damaged enough to make you look beaten."

* * *

The Cardinal of Light was panting as he hauled himself back out of the tunnels and into the fresh air outside Roble. The old man was tired and his robes were dirtied, but the mad gleam in his eyes spoke of a sort of manic energy and a sense of accomplishment. He rushed over back to the old fort and immediately started yelling at the Theocracy's soldiers.

"You there! Get me a carriage this instant!" he demanded.

"Sir?" one of the soldiers spoke up. "Where did you go? We were afraid that-"

"Never mind that! Do as I have instructed!"

"But sir, the other cardinals are overseeing the battle with Senator Jircniv and the other representatives. Wouldn't it be best if you joined them?"

"I don't have time for that! It is imperative that I return to Humanika to speak with the Archbishop immediately!"

"Very well, your grace," the soldier sighed as he and a few other soldiers rushed off to secure the Cardinal of Light's carriage. The Cardinal of Light wore a sick grin as he watched them run off.

 _Soon your fate will be sealed Lucifer Dracul and I will be remembered as the man who saved the world._

* * *

The top floor of the Holy Temple exploded in a blast of crimson radiance, completely exposing the former throne room. Lucifer Dracul stood in front of the Hellmouth enveloped in a red aura bright enough for even those who were fighting just outside of Roble could see what was happening. Equally attention grabbing, was Jaldabaoth who was down on all fours before Lucifer struggling to get up. Those who were in the city limits could see what was happening much clearer than those outside, although it was only silhouettes. All fighting, inside or outside of the city stopped. Everyone's attention was on the vampire and the demon. No one made sound as Lucifer picked up the feebly struggling Jaldabaoth and held him over his head.

"Jaldabaoth," Lucifer's voice boomed for all to hear, despite speaking in his usual soft yet commanding tone. "For your crimes against countless mortals, you are hereby banished to a hell of your own making where I will personally ensure you spend eternity suffering in. I hope suffering gives you some manner of insight into the pain you have caused." And with that, Lucifer tossed a dramatically howling Jaldabaoth into the Hellmouth (disguised [Gate]) and, with a clenching of his fist, sealed it shut causing it to vanish as if it had never been there.

"He actually did it."

"By the gods."

"Meh."

"Took him long enough."

"Dammit."

"He really is stronger than Momon," Evileye grumbled before turning her attention back to Wrath, who she found was bowing Lucifer's direction.

"To all you creatures who served Jaldabaoth, you have two options," Luicfer's magically amplified voice continued. "Either bow down and serve me or face summary execution. Decide now!"

"We will serve!" thousands of demonic voices roared in response.

* * *

The Cardinal of Light sat alone in his carriage as he and an escort of the Theocracy's soldiers on horseback finally began to head back to Humanika. Glancing out the windows to make sure no one was watching, he removed the item he found in the sewers from his robes and caressed it softly with a mad glint in his eyes joined with a creepy smile adorning his features. It was a softly glowing golden pyramid that seemed to shine with a divine aura.

"Finally, after all these years, Loginus belongs to the Theocracy again."

* * *

 **I'm going to be completely honest here. I am not happy with how this one turned out but I am GODDAMN SICK of writing and rewriting this one chapter so you know what? Fuck it. I'll come back and fix it up later. As for the Skyrim shit, that will not be included in this story. That will be focus of the next story and will be ith the Overlord Crossovers once this story is finished and I WILL FINISH THIS STORY. Yes. I know. I took forever on this one.**


	33. Just Beneath the Surface

Chapter 32: Just Beneath the Surface

Those who ruled the Troll Kingdom, The Troll Lords, did not meet very often and when they did it was never about anything like crops or their economy, especially since they didn't have either of those. A meeting between the Troll Lords, always ended with the same result: war. The Troll Kingdom's society was highly disorganized but made up for all of their deficiencies with brute strength. Whenever there was a lack of something in the Troll Kingdom, the trolls would simply raid any nearby countries taking whatever they want.

It was because of this particular way of doing things that led to the current circumstances. When the forest was set ablaze a few weeks ago all of the animals the trolls hunted for food had to flee their habitats while the trolls tried to keep the fires under control, without much success. And so, with the lack of available food, the four Troll Lords gave the only orders that would make sense to them. As usual, it was to raid the neighboring countries. The closest, and easiest, ones to raid for trolls at the moment being the City State Alliance and the Baharuth Empire.

Unfortunately, they were unaware of the new regime that had come into power and thus had no idea what awaited them.

Spoiler Alert: It was Death Knights.

The battle was quick, bloody, and overall unimportant. The Death Knights took no casualties while the force of about 200 trolls was utterly decimated.

* * *

"….And that's how it happened," the former Queen Draudillon, now a member of the Imperial Senate, finished her report to Director Demiurge in his office at the embassy in Arwintar. Although she should've been back in the territory that had once been the Draconic Kingdom, now the Draconic Annex, but because the beastmen and what was left of her kingdom were still being incorporated into the Eternal Empire she was kept in Baharuth with other refugees from her country. She was close enough to her the Draconic Annex to be able to assist and by helping around the embassy she was able to keep an eye on the Eternal Empire's activities. If anything good had come out of handing her country over to Lucifer, it was the fact that she no longer had to make herself look like a loli. Her true form was that of a dark-skinned woman with red eyes, purple hair, and GREAT boobs wearing an elegant red dress. Oh yeah, and she had dragon wings sprouting from her back. Did I forget to mention that? Demiurge hid a smirk as he mulled over the news.

 _At last. Those mongrel trolls certainly took their time putting together a raiding party after Pandora's Actor lit their precious forest ablaze. Now all we need to do is force them solely focus on the City State Alliance. No one can fault Nazarick for coming to the aid of a country that's getting eaten by trolls._

"Thank you for bringing this to me Senator Draudillon. I shall devise the appropriate contingencies and ensure our emperor is informed," Demiurge said with an elegant bow as an evil smirk worked its way onto his face.

* * *

Down in the icy depths of Nazarick's 5th floor's Frozen Prison, Omega, Shalltear, and Lucifer stood before their latest prisoner, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord Mortis, who's entire body, except for his head, was encased incased in ice. Lucifer had a slightly agitated expression on his face while Omega and Shalltear looked quite pleased with themselves. Mortis, on the other hand, had an uncharacteristically fearful look in his eyes.

"Ladies, care to explain?" Lucifer sighed.

"This dragon trespassed on our territory, without apologizing might I add, and caused a significant setback on the construction of your city, my lord," Omega reported. "And so I led the Pleiades into battle with this dragon and together we managed to hold it off until Lady Shalltear arrived."

"And then I put this overgrown lizard in its place!" Shalltear exclaimed proudly as she puffed out her chest.

"You acted admirably Shalltear, but that isn't what I'm asking," Lucifer said in a slightly frustrated tone. "What I'm curious about is how you brought him down here in the first place."

"With this!" Shaltear proclaimed as she held up a duffel bag labeled: BDSM.

 _That doesn't answer any of my questions. Fuck it._

"I see. Excellent work Shalltear," Lucifer praised the shorter vampire with a nod of his head, pretending to understand what Shalltear did, although, in reality, he wasn't so sure he wanted to know anymore.

"Th-thank you, father," Shalltear stammered with a blush. "It is our pleasure to serve."

"Additionally, my lord, he had this with him," Omega spoke up as she handed Five Elements Overcoming over to her master.

 _Holy fucking shit that's Five Elements Overcoming. IT'S ONE OF THE TWENTY! HOW THE FUCK DID THIS DRAGON GET ITS CLAWS ON IT!?_

"Five Elements Overcoming," Lucifer muttered as he examined the ever-changing scripture, hiding his inner turmoil, before turning to the captive Dragon Lord. "Care to tell me where you got this?"

"You know what it is?" Mortis asked, eyes widened.

"Obviously. It is a powerful relic that allows one to alter the nature of magic itself."

"Who are you people?"

"I am known as the Immortal Emperor, Father of all Vampires, and the God of Life and Death. My name is Lucifer Dracul, ruler of the Eternal Empire," Lucifer introduced himself with a hint of superiority. "This is one of my maids, Aureole Omega, and my daughter, Shalltear Bloodfallen."

"She, the one who defeated me, is your daughter?" Mortis inquired as he stared Lucifer, failing to notice the shorter, blushing vampire. "You mean to tell me that she's a demigod?"

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," Lucifer shrugged, ignoring the dragon's mumbling about "so that's why she was able to defeat me so easily" and pressing on. "However, you have failed to answer my question. Where did you get this?"

"I acquired it from a mighty opponent who called himself a "player," although his apprentice managed to escape," Mortis replied with his scaly eyebrows furrowed. "The one who called himself a "player" was a Naga with exceptional skills in assassination. He never introduced himself but when he told his apprentice to run, she called out to him. "Master Lurk" is what she called him."

"You said he was a Naga," Lucifer mused as an image sprang to mind. "Did this Naga happen to have a red bandana covering his face and arms covered in bandages?"

"Yes, that sounds like him. How did you know?"

 _That idiot got sent here too? If I remember correctly, Lurk24 was about level 60 or so when the game shut down. That noob was always trying to take on Touch Me even though he never employed strategy. All he ever did was constant button mashing. I didn't really know him, but he popped up often enough to leave a rather annoying impression._

"He was….. a minor nuisance I was unfortunately acquainted with," Lucifer finally answered.

"I see," Mortis muttered, not entirely sure how to respond. "It was a difficult battle, but I emerged victorious."

 _That's not right. According to [Discern Enemy] Mortis is similar to a level 90 boss, so why was Lurk able to put up such a fight?_

"If I remember correctly, Lurk was quite a weak assassin," Lucifer stated. "How was able to put up a fight against an entity such as yourself?"

"He had a powerful sword. Razor Edge is what I believe it was called," Mortis responded.

 _Razor Edge…. Come to think of it, that was the sword Gazef had with him when we met on Katze Plains before he gave it to Climb. Dammit. I should've analyzed that weapon when I had the chance._

"This woman who was with Lurk, who was she?"

"It was only years later when I visited my colleague, the Platinum Dragon Lord, at the floating city of Eryuentiu did I learn her name," Mortis thought out loud. "Apparently she worked with him in the years that followed during his time in the Thirteen Heroes. Her name was Izaniya, who the assassins of Ijaniya eventually named themselves after."

"Is that right?" Lucifer mused before turning his attention back to Mortis. "Tell me, what have you been doing all this time with Five Elements Overcoming anyway?"

"I have been attempting to decipher the strange texts within the scroll, but the scripture keeps changing making it damn near impossible to translate."

"I can see why he's having a problem," Shalltear interjected as she peered over Lucifer's shoulder to stare at the scroll. "Even I can't figure out what this says or how to use it."

 _That's because it doesn't mean anything. The shitty devs just made up a bunch of symbols and put e'm on the item to make it look cool._

"It would be impossible for either of you to understand as it is written in the language of the Elder Gods," Lucifer lied. "Only a god can understand it."

"So, does that mean you can understand it my lord?" Omega inquired.

"I can read it, yes."

"WHAT!?" Mortis bellowed. "I've been attempting to decipher this scroll for centuries, and you're telling me you already know how to read it!?"

"Was that not just made clear?"

"My lord!" Mortis suddenly exclaimed as he lowered his head, the only part of him that wasn't frozen, in submission. "I have devoted nearly three centuries to deciphering that scroll. It would not be outlandish to say that it has been my life's work. If you would allow me to see the results of its use, I would be forever grateful to you."

"I see. I could use a powerful creature such as yourself," Lucifer said as he handed the WCI over to Omega. "I have no intentions of using it just yet, but should I ever have a reason to use it, I will inform you. Omega, take the scroll and lock it away in the vault before you thaw him out. Once you are done come report back to me, I have a few tasks I need you to carry out. Shalltear, come with me. You will serve as my bodyguard once again."

"Yes my lord!"

"Yes father!"

* * *

Angela cringed as she watched yet another holy text thrown into the inferno. After the Immortal Emperor had left Roble, he left several platoons of Death Knights to maintain order in the destroyed Holy Kingdom, now annexed by the Eternal Empire. Angela and Vega had been charged with ensuring the peaceful integration of demihumans while leading their respective people through these difficult times. What caused Angela's heart to sink was the arrival of nearly 200 Zuranon cultists who, on the orders of their new master, Lucifer Dracul, began purging the city of Roble of everything that was deemed "detrimental to building and maintaining a prosperous society." This mostly meant the burning of anything that worshipped the Six Great Gods, called for the elimination of nonhumans, or anything else that was seen as contradictory to Lucifer's ideology. The bastards were making a big show out of it too. They hoisted up the Eternal Empire's banners all over the place, created a massive bonfire, and started marching around the fire in circles shouting "Nema!" (Amen pronounced backwards), and set up an effigy of Jaldabaoth in the middle which now resembled nothing more than a person on a cross burning. There was even a skeleton marching band playing a dark militaristic victory tune (I imagine the first minute and a half of Sabaton's Rise of Evil or an instrumental version of The Beautiful People, but I doubt anyone will actually look it up).

"How did this happen?" Angela whispered to herself as she tried to hold back tears at the sight of the Holy Kingdom's history being engulfed in flames.

"Your people aren't particularly happy with you," Vega spoke up as he emerged from the shadows from behind Angela. Angela frowned as he approached. She had grown used to him being around since they were both ensuring the continued cooperation between humans and nonhumans in the city, but that didn't mean she liked him. He DID kill her sister after all, can't necessarily blame her. She would throw a tantrum about him every now and then, but the past week of living under the Eternal Empire's boot had made her position of powerlessness abundantly clear. She had managed to kill a Death Knight during one of her outbursts, but just barely. The other Death Knights hadn't taken kindly to that and gave an ass-whooping she would never forget. It was a sobering to realize that even she, who was regarded as one of the strongest on the continent, was only barley able to overcome the average foot soldier of the Eternal Legion. She hadn't made a scene since then.

"What are you talking about?" Angela growled.

"I'm saying that your people have abandoned your beliefs and latched onto whatever keeps them safe."

"Despite that, it's unnatural to simply throw one's beliefs out the window that quickly."

"You and your sister failed to protect them whereas the Eternal Empire has saved them and is protecting them," Vega pointed out. "With all the new goods being brought in over the past week, construction, and new laws that have been set up, the citizens feel as if they can focus on simply living instead of having to worry about another demon invasion or something similar. All they have to do is embrace Dracul and let him fly his banner over their homes and in return their lives improve."

"So what? You think we should just abandon the gods?"

"I think you're being stubborn."

"And I think you're too trusting."

"How do you mean?"

"I'm stubborn and a bit rash, I can acknowledge that," Angela grunted, ignoring how Vega scoffed at the "a bit" part. "But my warrior's instincts are rarely incorrect. Lucifer Dracul, although he says pleasant things and offers prosperity, is undoubtedly evil. He and Jaldabaoth may have been enemies, but I get the feeling that he somehow directed that demon to attack the Holy Kingdom in order to force us to submit to him. He is the worst kind of villain, the kind that convinces the world that he is a hero, a messiah." Vega stared at her, unused to the wingless Valkyrie speaking of such serious things.

"No," Vega said as he shook his head and held his hand to it. "If that were true, then that would make his highness the single greatest evil to appear in the world EVER. Even more sinister the Eight Greed Kings. I refuse to believe that the world could be swallowed up by darkness so quickly."

"Believe what you will," Angela scoffed. "But the number of opportunities we will have to subvert the Antichrist are dwindling and when the time comes, I know which side of the battlefield I will stand on. Do you?"

* * *

Enri let out a yawn as she and Nfirea got out of bed. It was early in the morning and the past week had been extraordinarily busy. The Dwarven Runesmiths had arrived a few days ago with an injured elf. Enri, unsure of what else to do, handed the elf over to Hekkeran and Imina at their church where an Elder Lich who was capable of using healing magic could look after her. Ever since then, she and Gondo had been directing the golems provided by the Immortal Emperor to create the Dwarven Workshops. The day began as usual, feed Nemu, look around the village to make sure everything was okay, and check in with Jugem to make sure there were security related issues. However, her daily routine was brought to an abrupt end when Hekkeran caught her trying to sneak off to see Nfirea.

"Yo chief!" he shouted with a knowing smirk on his face.

"Y-Yes Hekkeran, can I help you?" she asked with an embarrassed look on her face, hoping he didn't know where she was going.

"Chief, you weren't trying to sneak away for some private time with Nfirea again were you?" Hekkeran teased.

"Sh-shut up," Enri stutters. "You and Imina do the same thing in Lord Dracul's church so you have no right tease me about these things."

"True, but Imina and I don't really care if anyone catches us."

"You two are just….." Enri sighed. "Whatever. Can I assume that you came over to speak to me for a reason other than to tease me?"

"Yeah, you remember that elf the dwarves brought in?"

"Of course."

"She's come to. Figured you'd want to have a few words with her," Hekkeran said as he started leading Enri towards the church.

"Has she said anything since she woke up?" Enri asked while walking in sync with the former worker.

"Not much other than her freaking out about being surrounded by humans. The Elder Lich had to use a spell to get her to calm down," Hekkeran replied with a nonchalant shrug as they finally arrived at the gothic style church erected in worship to Lord Dracul. The Carne Village church, like all other churches erected by Lucifer Dracul, was made of black granite and had red tinted windows that reached from a person' hips to the high reaching ceiling. "After you, chief," Hekkeran said with exaggerated politeness as he held the door open for Enri, who rolled her eyes and stepped inside. In the back of the church, where people came in for healing, a young elf was in bed with her blonde hair up in a ponytail. Her big green eyes stared at the newcomers, but repeatedly glanced back the Elder Lich hovering over her. Understandable. They're not the friendliest looking of creatures.

"Um, hi," Enri greeted the elf, unsure of how to start this conversation. "My name Enri, I'm the chief of this village. Can I ask your name?"

"M-Myriah," the elf girl, now identified as Myriah, stuttered.

"Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?" Enri asked, resulting in Myriah to stare at her in suspicion.

"Where am I? W-why am I here?"

"Shit, I dunno. It can't possibly be because Gondo found you passed out in the middle of the road," Hekkeran said sarcastically.

"G-Gondo?"

"He's one of the dwarves who lives here," Enri answered before Hekkeran could continue to be an ass.

"Dwarves l-live here? With humans?"

"That's just how things work here in the Eternal Empire," Enri replied with a smile. "All sorts of dehmihumans and heteromorphic creatures live here. We even have undead like that Elder Lich behind you."

"I-I've never heard of the Eternal Empire b-before."

"By the Supreme Being," Hekkeran muttered under his breath. "She's got some catching up to do."

* * *

Jigsaw sent the latest batch of Death Knights off to receive their orders. With all the corpses that he and Demiurge had acquired from the invasion of the Holy Kingdom, he was surprised that he had even managed to finish with a quarter of them, and yet he still had thousands of other corpses to turn. However, due to the company he was expecting, he would have to put his work on hold for a bit. The moment the doors to the Dead House's slaughterhouse were opened, Jigsaw knew who had entered from his very presence.

"Welcome, my lord," Jigsaw spun around and kneeled to greeted his master as Lucifer walked in with the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in hand and Shalltear close behind him.

"Glad to see that things are progressing here Jigsaw," Lucifer drawled as he took note of the meat hooks hanging from the ceiling and the conveyor belts covered in body parts before glancing down at the still kneeling Jigsaw. "You may rise."

"Thank you," Jigsaw replied as he rose to his feet. "It's a pleasure to see you too mistress Bloodfallen."

"The feeling is mutual Jigsaw," Shalltear responded as she started glancing around at all the body parts, boxes of guts, and barrels of blood. "Jigsaw, would you mind if I took one or two of these barrels for myself? Aura keeps hiding my drinks, little gnat."

"Business first Shalltear," Lucifer interrupted. "There are two reasons I'm here, Jigsaw. Would you mind calling over your second in command? It would be best if she was aware of the situation."

"Of course sir. Clementine! Get your blonde arse over here lass! Our master is here!" Jigsaw shouted over the sounds of machinery. Not even twenty seconds later, Clementine scurried over to her creator and his master. The moment she laid eyes on Lucifer, for the first time since he had killed her back during the undead massacre of E-Rantel, fear took over. Her eyes went wide, she felt like she was going to throw up, and she couldn't bare the thought of going through that ordeal again.

"Please my lord! Please don't send me back there!" she practically wailed as she sunk to her knees. "Why are you here? Have I displeased you? Please don't send me back, there is nothing but demons and monsters where you sent me!"

 _Holy shit, hell is real? No wait, if Tamriel is also on this planet then it would be safe to say that she was sent to Oblivion._

"You are safe from me for the time being, Clementine. Now be silent. You are here merely to listen," Lucifer ordered harshly as he lifted his former nuisance off the floor. "Jigsaw, I understand you have an update for me concerning Albedo's pregnancy?"

"Yes sir! It's far greater than I ever hoped!" Jigsaw exclaimed. "Twins sir! Bloody twins! Both male, both healthy, and both expected to be delivered within the next four weeks!" Lucifer's emotion suppression kicked in several times during that sentence.

 _Twins? Twins. TWINS!? FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK. I was barely mentally prepared for one vampire/demon spawn! But two of them!? Ok. Ok. Be calm. You're a man who trying to rule the world for fucks sake! You can handle a couple of kids! I hope…._

"I see. Thank you for the update Jigsaw," Lucifer said, not showing any of the inner turmoil he was experiencing. "However there is one other matter that demands your attention."

"Oh?"

"Shalltear and I heading out to investigate the floating city of Eryuentiu," Lucifer informed the madman. "I want you there to study it. I intend to bring it under our control."

"Very good my lord!" Jigsaw perked up, ecstatic to be going on an adventure with his creator. "Clementine! You're in charge until I get back. Make sure our operations continue to run smoothly. Cock it up and I'll throw you in the bloody Black Capsule. Got it lass?"

"Yes sir!" Clementine replied with a salute, managing to hide her fear until the terrifying trio left. The moment they were gone she scurried off to ensure that nothing went wrong. After all, no one wants to be put in the Black Capsule.

* * *

Brain, Freddon, and the rest of the National Liberation Party were charging through the streets of E-Pespel. After the events of the Demonic Invasion of the Holy Kingdom, the National Liberation Party and Zuranon had salvaged enough weapons and armor to field an army. After transporting these supplies back to the NLP base, Freddon, Brain, Climb, and Sebas distributed the weapons among the hundreds of members active within E-Pespel and began a push to defeat the Noble Faction's mercenaries with the intention of driving them out so they could begin their push back to the Re-Estize capitol. Now E-Pespel had been plunged into chaos. Currently, Freddon and Brain were leading on offensive on one of the storehouses where the nobles had ordered all the city's food be stored. As Lucifer had predicted, the nobles were hoarding it for themselves.

"Freddon! Another one on your left!" Brain shouted as he carved through another mercenary with his katana.

"Got it!" Freddon exclaimed as he bashed his attacker with his shield before striking him in the face with his mace. "We've got more incoming!"

"Oh, fuck this!" Brain yelled as several enemies closed in on their group.

 _Time to test out the ability I created just for that monster, Shalltear._

"[Nail Clipper]!" Brain bellowed as he activated his newest martial art and slicing through several opponents simultaneously before pointing his katana at the remaining mercenaries. "Give up. You're outnumbered and surrounded." The remaining mercenaries cringed as the searched frantically for any means of escape, but in vain. Upon seeing the corpses of their comrades crumple to the ground and seeing how easily Brain had dispatched them, many of them decided that continuing to defend a stockpile of food really wasn't worth it. One by one they grimaced and dropped their weapons, allowing themselves to be taken prisoner.

"How come that never works when I do it?" Freddon muttered as the prisoners were taken away.

"Because you couldn't be intimidating if your life depended on it," Brain smirked before growing serious. "Any idea where Sebas ended up?"

"He said he was headed to the Nobles' base of operations in the city to take out the enemy's leadership and secure this city once and for all. Some noble prick named Phillip or something," Freddon replied with a shrug.

"Alone?"

"Yeah. Believe it or not the old man is a badass."

"You don't have to convince me," Brain said as he thought back to the events that transpired when he first met Sebas.

* * *

The mayors of the City State Alliance had gathered once again for the first time since the founding of the Eternal Empire. Considering how things had turned out during that meeting, the mayors weren't thrilled to be meeting like this again. Due to their close proximity with the former Baharuth Empire and Mayor Kabelia's relationship with Jircniv, they had learned of what transpired at Katze Plains quicker than most. The reactions from the mayors had greatly differed. There were those who insisted upon sending spies to E-Rantel, those who wanted to be patient and see what the Immortal Emperor's next move would be, a few idiots who wanted to take up arms against the Antichrist, and one or two that actually suggested an alliance with him. That was the problem with their system. If they didn't have the adequate number of votes they couldn't really do anything. In the end, everyone had left frustrated and angry with each other, not looking forward to the next meeting and many deciding to do whatever they could to delay it.

Until today that is.

Normally, when one of the cities is experiencing turmoil, the mayor in charge of that specific city will attempt to resolve the crisis on their own.

But with trolls attacking their cities, they couldn't afford to delay or strive to be independent from each other. Troll raids were not uncommon do to their close proximity with the Troll Kingdom, but simultaneous attacks on several of their cities was clearly not a simple raid. And so, in light of the troll threat, the mayors had reconvened in Gellara. Gellara was the only city in the country that didn't have a mayor. It was a city that was built through the collective efforts of all of the mayors of the City State Alliance and was established as neutral ground for feuding city states, the capitol city for visiting delegates, and where the mayors would gather to debate and make administer policy throughout the rest of the country. In the very center of the city was a larger than life statue of the Dark Knight of the Thirteen Heroes. Within the City State Administration Building, all of the mayors that didn't have trolls attacking their cities had attended to discuss what could be done about the current predicament. That said, out of all the mayors in the City State Alliance, it was only four of them that really made the decisions.

"Although the walls of our cities are holding, we are unable to push the trolls back," reported Mayor Puro Fai, the fairy mayor of Karnik who was respected for being kind and fair, reported to her fellow mayors. "Ragola, Yix, Drollu, Squolom, Lios, and Alomnos remain under siege."

"For now, it appears that we are at a stalemate," grunted Mayor Datorum Zabek, the scarred human mayor of Sumikar known for his heartlessness and the persistent rumors that he had once been a bandit. He was a skinny man dressed in a suit and tie he had bought during his travels in the southern regions, had slicked back blue hair, and had a suspicious look to him. "While the residents cannot leave the cities in question, the trolls are unable to get to them so we have time to devise a plan."

"Kabelia, have you heard anything from Jircniv regarding the recent attacks?" Mayor Hosif Kellinci asked. He was a rabbitman who was missing one of the long ears associate with his kind, lost in battle. He would've looked like an intimidating grizzled veteran if it hadn't been for his one remaining ear.

"All contact with Baharuth was cut off after their surrender to the Eternal Empire," Mayor Westerna Kabelia sighed. She was dressed in refined purple, kept her dark hair in a bun, and wore glasses. She was a stern looking woman with a disposition similar to Yuri Alpha. "Jircniv hasn't sent anything out fear that it may be intercepted by the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul."

 _Not even a love letter._

"Are you alright Kabelia?" Kellinci asked. "Your face seems a bit red."

"I'm fine," Kabelia responded dismissively as she banished such thoughts from her head. "Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we should deal with the trolls? We can't let the citizens of the City State Alliance starve while being besieged by trolls."

"The adamantite ranked adventurers of Silver Thread Bird have established a base here in the city," Fai mused. "Perhaps we can pay them to fight the trolls one city at a time and give our soldiers some room to maneuver?"

"We could also hire assassins from Ijaniya to assist us," Zabek proposed.

"Absolutely not," Kabelia snapped. "I will not legitimize that murderous scum in such a time of crisis."

"I concur," Kellinci spoke up with a nod of his head. "Could we ask for assistance from the other nearby countries?"

"That would be unwise," Fai sighed. "It would jeopardize the principle of in dependence this alliance was founded on and I wouldn't expect anyone to assist us anyway. The Slane Theocracy won't help because of our nonhuman citizens, the Re-Estize Kingdom is in the middle of a civil war, the Agrand Council is too far away, the Elves are at war with the Theocracy, and the Eternal Empire….. well…... I doubt that a vampire such as Lucifer Dracul is a benevolent man."

"Indeed," Kellinci shuddered. "We've all heard about what happened at Katze Plains."

"So for the time being we shall rely on Silver Thread Bird and seek assistance only if it is absolutely necessary. Any objections?" Zabek asked, receiving no response. "Then this session will come to a close. We will reconvene tomorrow evening."

* * *

Corvo sighed as he entered the Kaldwin residence for the first time since the Demonic Invasion. Jessamine would doubt give him an earful again about leaving without telling her….. again.

"Jessamine, I'm back," Corvo called out gruffly. The moment those words left his mouth, there was a loud bang from upstairs and Jessamine ran down to him faster than the goddamn Roadrunner.

"Corvo!" she yelled as she grabbed him by his trench coat with an uncharacteristically angry look on her face. "Do you know how worried I was? You just left with the Black Scripture to fight a bunch of demons without even telling me!"

"Ummmm sorry?" Corvo muttered/asked. Jessamine kept yelling t him but at this point he kinda just tuned her out.

 _Why is she so worked up about this?_

His thoughts were interrupted however when Jessamine smacked him across his face before kissing him. The make out session continued for about a minute until Jessamine pulled away with her usual grin on her face and walked off humming a merry tune. Corvo just stood there with a blank look on his face.

 _What the fuck just happened?_

* * *

Troll Lord Gral the Toll Troll was a greedy individual, but unlike his fellow Troll Lords he was smart enough to know when something wasn't worth pursuing out of pride or chest-pounding bravado. He learned to speak like the humans through his dealings with the Eight Fingers, whom he had not heard from in a while now, and wore what appeared to be an attempt at a noble's coat made from the pelts of dozens of animals. He preferred to use his head instead of the brute strength that trolls liked to solve all of their problems with. So when he found a man in an orange suit wearing glasses in his home, he decided to attempt negotiations first.

"Care to explain what you're doing in my home?" Gral asked as he reached into a dirty cupboard and started delicately pouring wine into small crystal glasses that looked comical when compared to his large hands. Gral's home, like most of the Troll Lords', was an old and decayed castle that had been abandoned during the reign of the Eight Greed Kings. It was decrepit, vine-covered, and not the homiest of homes, but it was HIS.

"I have information I think you would like to hear, as well as an offer," the man smirked as he stepped closer. "My name is Director Demiurge of the Eternal Empire."

"I've never heard of your empire," Gral stated suspiciously.

"We haven't been around that long, but we have expanded our borders at an exponential rate."

"So why are you here?"

"You and your fellow Troll Lords recently sent some of your men to raid our territory, the former Baharuth Empire. I was told to inform you that regrettably, none of them will be returning home," Demiurge smirked. Gral turned to glare at the demon but kept his emotions in check, something that most trolls were completely incapable of unless motivated by fear.

"Care to explain how you found this place? The locations of the Troll Lords' homes is usually not well known among human nations."

"We had several different sources of information," Demiurge replied dismissively. "The Eight Fingers, or what's left of them, were kind enough to give my emperor the relevant information and the rest we acquired from one of milord's vassals, Go Gin."

"I know that name," Gral muttered. "He was the one of the toughest warriors I knew, a member of Rex's tribe, and an old friend of mine. He was exiled for going against tradition. It's a shame old man Rex is set in his ways." Gral grimaced as he thought about the troll he hated more than any other of his kind. The Troll Lord Rex was a War Troll who wore a helmet made from the skull of a dragon that he had killed and wore a necklace made of human, elf, and beastman skulls. Out of all of the Troll Lords, he was the oldest of them all having fought back in their first war with the beastmen. He was a traditionalist that was set in his ways, which mostly consisted of eating people, treating the other countries as a food supply, and fighting whenever possible. He was regarded as the unofficial leader of the Troll Kingdom so, unfortunately, his decisions tended to be the ones that mattered.

 _He's keeping us trapped in the past, unwilling to advance. Has he ever considered what would happen if too many humans were eaten? What if another entity such as the Eight Greed Kings emerges and destroys our food supply? We need to be prepared for when things go wrong._

"I can your sense hatred of this other Troll Lord," Demiurge grinned. "My lord wants to uplift the trollish people and invite them into our empire."

"And why would I do that?" Gral asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Because an important step in ensuring that happens is to dispose of Troll Lord Rex. Additionally, I understand that whoever holds the position of Troll King is able to make any decision for the rest of the Troll Kingdom uncontested."

"Do you realize what you're asking?" Gral sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "There hasn't been a Troll King since the founding of this country. The only way someone can ascend to that position is by defeating all of the Troll Lords at once. No one has ever been able to manage that."

"You just let my master worry about that," Demiurge sneered as he handed a folder over to Gral. "This is all you need to concern yourself with for the time being. We'll be in touch." And with that, Demiurge began to walk out of Gral's castle. It was only at this point did Gral finally notice Demiurge's tail.

 _The Eternal Empire isn't an exclusively human nation, is it?_

* * *

Eryuentiu, the floating city of the Eight Greed Kings. It was a legendary location that was shunned by society as a location synonymous with evil. That said, it didn't stop people from heading there. Do to the unlimited water supply that flowed down to the ground from the floating city, a sprawling metropolis had been built underneath it in order to have access to the resources. The city, known simply as Sin, was built over the course of hundreds of years originally as a single outpost that treasures hunters, explorers, and adventurers had built as a place of rest when exploring the Eight Greed King's dreaded floating fortress. Overtime, more and more people were drawn there and the site began to expand. These people mostly consisted of outcasts, exiles, criminals, those seeking a new beginning, and those shunned by society. There were no laws regarding religion or race, as a matter of fact, there weren't any laws at all. The most the city had in terms of maintaining order was a peace keeping force that kept things from getting out of hand, but for the most part, although the city was a rough place, the most trouble the residents experienced were bar fights that could might occasionally escalate into drunken riots. It was as if the entire city was an Adventurer's Guild. There was only one unspoken rule in Sin: if you had the balls to come all the way out here to a place with one of the worst reputations on the continent, then you were welcomed with open arms. Human or nonhuman, rich or poor, young or old, it didn't matter in a city where everyone was regarded as a freak wherever they came from. In this city, freaks stuck together.

Neia Baraja had learned all of this from personal experience when she fled here. She had been part of Angela's group during their first encounter with Jaldabaoth and had bared witness to that demon ripping off her wings. Angela had never bothered to check if she had survived or not because "she was an insignificant scribe." Neia had put up with Angela's bullshit throughout the entire journey to that village only because she was the Holy Kingdom's best hope but when she saw Angela humiliated by the Demon King Jaldabaoth, she lost hope and fled to the Southern Holy Kingdom and from there to Sin. Her intention had been to keep moving until she reached the Slane Theocracy, but the people here had welcomed her with open arms, not caring about her "criminal eyes." She quickly found work with a 57 year old man named Samuel Beechworth who used to work on building ships for naval exploration. Nowadays, he sought to do some exploring of his own and came here to Sin. With the rumors that the Platinum Dragon Lord had departed the floating city of Eryuentiu, it was the perfect opportunity to explore the infamous home of the Eight Greed Kings. Which brings her to her current situation.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" she screamed as she ran down one of Eryuentiu's lifeless streets pursued by three demons. She had kept most of her garb from the Holy Kingdom, the only new addition being the large pack of equipment on her back. "Dammit!" she yelled as another fireball flew past her head.

 _I've had it with demons! If I never see another demon for the rest of my life I'll die a happy woman!_

She had weapons of course, but she wasn't confident enough in her skills with a sword to be able to defeat the demons that were chasing her. After she turned another corner, she saw Samuel armed with a crossbow taking aim at the demons behind her. Samuel was a grizzled old man wearing dirty clothes that had once belonged to a noble of the Baharuth Empire. He had looted a few nobles' homes during Jircniv's purge of the nobles. The bolt he fired flew past Neia and struck one of the demons, slowing it down, but failing to kill it.

"We gotta go!" Samuel yelled in a southern accent as the two of them took off down the streets again. The chase continued for another 15 minutes with not much changing other than turning down another street or the occasional fire ball or two. That is, until they turned down one more street and Neia collided with something knocking her down on her ass.

"[Triple Maximize Magic: Grasp Heart]," the "something" said coldly followed by the sounds of the demons crumpling to the ground. Neia slowly looked up from her sitting position to see who or what it was she had ran into. Anyone else would've thought that the tall man she had run into was death given human form. But Neia… was weird. Her eyes sparkled as she laid eyes his imposing figure. "Weak POPs," he muttered before looking down at Neia. "Are you alright?" he asked as knelt down to look at her, giving her an up close and personal view of his facial features. The red eyes that terrified hundreds did not affect Neia, if anything, she felt a certain kind calm wash over her. As for the rest of his face…..

 _HE'S SO HANDSOME!_

"Miss?" he spoke up as he raised an eyebrow. Realizing that he was speaking to her, Neia blushed and shot up.

"Y-yes!" she stammered. "Th-thank you for helping us! My name is Neia B-baraja and this is Samuel Beechworth, may I ask who you are?"

"I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, ruler of the Eternal Empire. It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. Baraja," he replied in a charming manner.

"Th-the Immortal Emperor," Samuel finally spoke, gaping at the vampire before him. "Wh-what are you doing here?" Neia stared at Lucifer expectantly with her eyes wide and a small smile.

"I'm here to investigate this city and, if possible, bring it under my control," Lucifer responded nonchalantly as if it wasn't a big deal. Samuel's eyes went so wide they looked like they might pop out of his skull while Neia's eyes shone with admiration and awe. "Might I ask what you two are doing up here?"

"We're exploring the city and hoping to find some relics from the time of the Eight Greed Kings," Neia answered. "We've been up here for the past four days trying to find anything valuable, but all we found was this map." She held a ragged piece of parchment with the layout of Eryuentiu inscribed upon it. "It looks like whatever is left will probably have been moved to what is known as the Dark Council Chamber by the Platinum Dragon Lord."

"I see. Would you be able to lead me to it?" Lucifer inquired.

"Yes, but there are monsters there that no one can beat! No one has ever tried to enter the chamber and come back to tell the tale! It's impossible!" Neia exclaimed.

"But not for the Platinum Dragon, apparently," Lucifer smirked. "We will not be alone. Assist me, and I will make you reward you handsomely." Samuel perked up at this.

"Well, I suppose we can negotiate the price on the way there," Samuel mused. "But you said we wouldn't be alone. Where are your subordinates?"

"I'm right here you blind bloody wanker!" a voice came from directly behind Samuel, causing him to shriek, jump back, and turn around to face the British mad scientist wearing a plague doctor outfit known as Jigsaw. "Can I kill them milord?"

"No Jigsaw, you are not allowed to harm them," Lucifer sighed.

"Very well, Lord Dracul," Jigsaw said glumly as his shoulders drooped. Lucifer ignored the madman's sulking and looked off into the distance of Eryuentiu's sprawling metropolis.

"Shalltear! Front in center!" his voice boomed. Seconds later, a pale woman clad in red armor wielding a massive lance burst through the walls of a decayed building, landed in front of Lucifer, and saluted.

"You called for me father?" Shalltear stated more than asked with a smile on her face.

"Shalltear, please be careful about how much damage you cause to the structural integrity," Lucifer sighed. "We want this place to stay in one piece when we take over."

"Yes my lord, sorry my lord!" Shalltear cried with devotion evident in her voice. Neia stared at Lucifer with admiration throughout this entire exchange.

 _He must be an amazing ruler if he can command the loyalty of individuals this powerful!_

"Our party has assembled," Lucifer stated. "Let us be off."

 _Ah, this reminds me of the good old days back in Yggdrasil._

* * *

Maximus sighed and ran a hand over his bald head as he finished reading the last of the reports concerning the Demonic Invasion of the Holy Kingdom.

"Yvon, care to explain your actions during this disaster?" he asked as he shot a glare at the Cardinal of Light.

"Yes your holiness, I apologize for my actions during the course of the assignment," the Cardinal of Light replied with an eerie calmness that was quite unlike him. "I allowed m emotions to get the better of me and I lost my head. I assure you it will not happen again. Additionally, I would like to apologize to Maximilian and Raymond for any trouble I caused them."

"It's alright Yvon," the Cardinal of Earth spoke up. "These have been trying times and we understand." The Cardinal of Darkness did not reply but eyed the Cardinal of Light suspiciously.

"As long as it doesn't happen again, I don't see an issue," the Cardinal of Fire stated.

"I agree," Maximus said with a nod before turning to the Cardinals of Earth and Darkness. "Now let me ensure that these reports are correct. Did you really work with the Immortal Emperor?"

"Unfortunately," the Cardinal of Earth replied. Maximus sighed at his response but carried on.

"Care to explain why you would work with that monster?" the Cardinal of Wind demanded.

"Necessity," the Cardinal of Darkness finally spoke up. "Jaldabaoth intended to wipe out the entire human race and…."

"WHAT!?" the Cardinal of Water yelled.

"May I finish?" the Cardinal of Darkness growled. No one made a sound and so he continued. "And we were hoping that by acting under the guise of assisting Lucifer Dracul we would be able to use the opportunity to locate Loginus. This attempt, however, was in vain." The Cardinal of Light's eyes had an unnatural glint as he smirked at the Cardinal of Darkness.

"Valid reasoning I suppose. Maximilian, Raymond, please distribute your reports to the other Cardinals," Maximus ordered. The Cardinals of Earth and Darkness did as they were told and for the next several minutes, the other Cardinals read in silence. Once they were finished, there were no shouts of indignation, no outcries of disbelief, and no real vocal reactions whatsoever. They had become used to hearing about Lucifer Dracul preforming feats that were considered impossible. All they had were depressed looks on their faces.

"So… who wants to start?" the Cardinal of Water asked glumly.

"I suppose I will," the Cardinal of Fire spoke up. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but did the Immortal Emperor truly create Momon?" The Cardinal of Darkness merely nodded. "How can an unholy abomination like him create a "perfect human" as he called it? Is it some manner of magic similar to advanced summoning spells? Or was this some horrible and unnatural creation alchemy such as some sort of advanced homunculi?"

"I'm afraid we don't know, but I suspect it is some sort of magic," the Cardinal of Earth replied. "After all, magic seems to be the Antichrist's greatest strength, so it is possible that he has found a way to create life itself and mold it in his image."

"The more disturbing notion that this information holds is that it raises the question" how many more of these false humans has that unholy abomination created and how do we know if there are any of them among us at this very moment?" the Cardinal of Darkness said solemnly. The Cardinals then began to glance around the room and gaze suspiciously at anyone who they didn't know on a first name basis, which was mostly the guards. The guards were doing the same.

"What of the events following Jaldabaoth's defeat?" the Cardinal of Wind murmured. "All of those demons, every last one of them, now serves the Eternal Empire? Every last one of them?"

"I'm afraid so," the Cardinal of Earth sighed.

"The Dark Elves, Dark Dwarves, and the Orcs have all banded together under the Dark Elf King Vega Connard who has in turn agreed to serve the Immortal Emperor?" the Cardinal of Water stated more than asked.

"Indeed," the Cardinal of Darkness said.

"And the entirety of the Holy Kingdom has succumbed to the Eternal Empire's rule?" the Cardinal of Wind asked although he feared that he already knew the answer.

"Pretty much," the Cardinal of Earth shrugged.

"So it is essentially the worst case scenario," Maximus spoke up.

"Yes your holiness," the Cardinal of Darkness replied.

"Well, we do have one bit of good news," Maximus spoke up with a tired smile on his face. "We received another note from the one who tipped us off about Lucifer Dracul's true name: Momonga." All of the Cardinals perked up at this and gave the Archbishop their undivided attention. "This time however, our source has elected not to remain entirely anonymous. He has addressed himself as Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Isn't that the name of Lucifer's empire of old?" the Cardinal of Wind asked.

"Indeed. In light of that, however, I believe that our mysterious benefactor has chosen this as an alias," Maximus continued. "He appears to be putting together a group with the sole purpose of defeating the Antichrist. Apparently he seeks an audience with us in an attempt to convince us to join him on his mission."

"The plot thickens," the Cardinal of Darkness murmured in a way so that no one could hear him.

"He has enclosed a wealth of information on his message as a sign of good faith," Maximus said. "I suggest you all examine the information closely before he gets here, but for tonight I recommend each of you helps yourself to an ale. Our work is just beginning. Praise the Six!"

"Praise the Six!" the other Cardinals chanted back. And with that, the meeting was adjourned. As they walked out of the room, the Cardinal of Darkness narrowed his eyes at the Cardinal of Light's retreating form.

 _He barely said a single damn word throughout the entire meeting. It's abnormal for a Cardinal not to voice their opinions, especially him. Something isn't right. He's hiding something and I'm going to find out what._

* * *

The Troll Lords, or at least the ones that had survived the massive fire that had engulfed their territories, had gathered at the Troll Kingdom's most sacred landmark, as a matter of fact it was the only thing they considered sacred, the War Totem. The War Totem was a massive tree that had all the battles that the Troll Kingdom took part in engraved into its bark. To the trolls it was a masterpiece of honor and glory. To anyone else it looked like a bunch of scribbles and random markings. The law of the Troll Kingdom was relatively simple: strength trumps all. Unfortunately, this meant that although the Troll Lords were strong, they weren't necessarily intelligent. Gral fought the urge to sneer at the remaining Troll Lords. There were only four of them left in total, counting himself.

The Troll Lord Drog was a Cave Troll who was missing an eye, wore armor that was made from scraps of bone and different pieces of armor gathered from of dozens of delicious humans. He was a battle-loving lunatic who wielded a spiked club that was bigger than his entire body. He was also an idiot, even by troll standards.

The Troll Lord Alz was a Mountain Troll who wore nothing but rags and had vines and fungus growing off his back. He was what would be described as the "strong and silent type." When he did speak, however, Gral could never under a single goddamn word that came out of his mouth, but for some reason, all the other trolls always knew what he was saying.

"How were our trolls beaten by mere humans?" Rex demanded. "We've raided the Baharuth Empire before and we made off with enough humans, so what happened this time?"

"The Baharuth Empire was apparently dissolved a few months ago," Gral reported. "It has fallen to another country known as the Eternal Empire which is ruled by the undead."

"Dead no taste good!" Drog yelled. "Not worth fight!"

"(Incomprehensible grunting noises)," Alz grunted.

"Wise words, Alz," Rex muttered in a begrudging tone. "The undead don't taste very good at all so we're better off focusing our attacks somewhere else. We should send all of our warriors and hunters to the City State Alliance and take everything we can!" Gral let out a small sigh of relief as those words left Rex's mouth. He knew that given Rex's hardheadedness as well as his fierce adherence to tradition he would go after the humans since fighting the undead offered very little benefits, but it was a weight off of his shoulders now that everything was going according to the plans of his new master: Lucifer Dracul. "I expect the rest of you to assemble your fighters and meet me on the battlefield or be branded a coward."

"Drog no coward!" Drog roared as he raised his club in the air.

"(Incomprehensible grunting noises)," Alz grunted with a nod.

"I'll be there," Gral said, hiding his discomfort at the thought that he might get caught up in the crossfire of Lucifer's plans.

* * *

The National Liberation Party had almost finished taking over E-Pespel. There were still a few pockets of resistance here and there, but for the most part, the nobles and their mercenaries had fled back to the capitol. However, with all of the freedom fighters out on the streets fighting the mercenaries and their heavy hitters such as Sebas, Brain, and Freddon leading the attacks, the mansion that they had used as their base of operations up until this point was currently lacking in security. This is why the assassins of Ijaniya picked this moment to strike. The assassins observed the remaining guards from the trees, searching for an opening.

"Madam Tian," one of them spoke up as he approached the leader. "We've finished scouting out the back. The only guard there is asleep. It's the perfect way in."

"Are there any indications Tina or Tia of Blue Rose are here?" she asked.

"No. They should be visiting the Eternal Empire at the moment."

"Good. They were trained in our ways and they may be able to recognize our infiltration, which would be inconvenient to say the least," Tian said coldly in order to mask the fact she still cared for her fellow twins. "Prepare to move on my mark."

"C-can you not d-do that?" a meek voice suddenly spoke up. Tian spun around to see a small elf crossdresser with heterochromatic eyes. "M-my lord told me to ensure you don't intervene."

"What is this little girl doing here?"

"You idiot, that's a boy!"

"Why is he dressed like a girl?"

"Meh."

"What's with that weird looking staff?"

"Should we kill her? Him? Whatever."

"Shut up!" Tian shouted. "I don't know who you are or your "lord" is, but not letting you stop us!"

"Oh," Mare muttered as his eyes seemed to glaze over. "Then pl-please be still or you might get hurt." And with that, Mare waved his staff, a divine class staff called the Shadow of Yggdrasil, and vines that seemingly grew from out of nowhere and entangled the assassins.

"Shit!"

"What the hell!?"

"I knew I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning!"

"Meh."

"He's a fucking druid!"

"I still think it's a she!"

"Dammit! Do you know who we are? Who I am?" Tian roared before the vines snaked around her neck sand started to squeeze. She couldn't breath and she could feel her consciousness leaving her.

"All hail Lucifer Dracul," Mare said as Tian blacked out, but not before she saw what appeared to be a flash of silver race by them towards the mansion which Mare failed to notice.

* * *

Climb paced back and forth in Renner's chamber in the National Liberation Party's mansion/base. With most of the other members out in the city fighting the nobles' forces, Climb was currently the strongest fighter on the premises. Renner mostly kept her eyes on him as she sipped her tea, looking like she was daydreaming about him when in reality she was thinking how he would look good tied to her bed.

"Climb," she spoke up.

"Yes, princess?" Climb replied as he kept his eyes trained on the door.

"I was thinking," she began. "If the National Liberation Party succeeds in this civil war and I am made queen, I'm going to need a king." Climb stiffened at the thought but managed to respond nonetheless.

"I'm sure you will be able to pick a respectable man to be your king, milady," Climb responded, masking his discomfort.

"I was thinking that you should be my king," Renner said with a flirtatious smile. Climb spun around, red in the face, and stared at her.

"Wha-" he started to say when the door swung open and a tall man in silver armor burst into the room with a sword drawn. Climb swung Razor Edge in an attempt to stop the intruder but was swiftly disarmed in a display of swordsmanship that trumped even Gazef's abilities. With Climb disarmed, the silver man lunged toward Renner, raised his sword…..

"There!" he exclaimed as he stabbed her shadow. Renner and Climb stared as some sort of creature with bat wings as dark as the shadows themselves rose from Renner's shadow, shrieked, and died.

"Good," the man spoke in a heroic voice. "Now we can speak freely."

"What was that?" Climb gaped.

"A Shadow Demon. Spies that serve the Immortal Emperor and his empire. Now that it is dead, we may speak without Mo-Lucifer knowing what has transpired here."

"Who are you?" Renner asked as she backed away to stand behind Climb.

"My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. I have come because I acquire your assistance in order to defeat Lucifer Dracul and end his aspirations of world domination," the man, now identified as Ainz, replied.

"You need our help?" Climb asked, flabbergasted.

"More specifically, I require that sword," Ainz stated as he gestured towards Razor Edge as Climb retrieved it. "My own sword is substandard compared to what I would need to defeat Dracul and yours is the only weapon I have knowledge of that can harm him."

 _Except for Guilty Ordinance, which Zydrayis REFUSES to let me touch out of fear of reactivating Eryuentiu._

"What makes you think that you can defeat him?" Renner asked with narrowed eyes.

"He and I have done battle countless times and not once has he ever managed to defeat me," he said confidently. "However, the equipment I used back then is currently inaccessible to me so I've put together the best gear I can find in order to stand against him. That sword is the only weapon I can get my hands on that can actually hurt him, bringing my odds up to 50/50." Climb and Renner stared. When it came to defeating the Immortal Emperor, this was the best chance they could get. Renner had made dozens of plans to try to figure out how to defeat Lucifer Dracul, most of which involved tricking the populace into turning against him by forcing him to reveal his true nature. However, none of the plans could counter his personal strength as he could simply dominate every country with a single spell and, despite all her brains, there was no way she or anyone else could combat such power without even mentioning his armies. But apparently, this man had done battle with him before and emerged victorious. Even without whatever gear he used to have, it was a helluva lot more than they had previously hoped for.

"Climb, give it to him" Renner ordered firmly. Climb stepped forward holding out the sword for Ainz but hesitated.

"Do you really think you can defeat Lucifer Dracul?" Climb asked as he stared up into the armored behemoth's eyes.

"I think that this is our best shot," Ainz replied. Climb gave a nod of respect and handed the sword over.

"Give him hell."

* * *

 **Jury duty, finals, the holidays, forgetting to bring my laptop to New York, and worst of all: writer's block. It's been one delay after another with chapter. Glad it's done though.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	34. Convergence

Chapter 33: Convergence

A team of five consisting of Lucifer, Samuel, Shalltear, and Jigsaw had been traversing the sprawling caverns of Eryuentiu for nearly an hour now with Neia at front guiding them through the labyrinth thanks to the map. Most of the tunnels were completely empty apart from a few weak POPs as any of the guild bases defenses would've had to have been reset by a guild member, which there were none of. Somewhere along the way, Samuel had started talking about his old job building ships for the old Baharuth Empire's navy. Lucifer mostly ignored him for the most part.

"But the problem with Baharuth was resource allocation," Samuel rambled on. "Jircniv was a great emperor, but he deemed a naval invasion of Re-Estize to be inefficient since we would have to sail around the entire Agrand Council Alliance whereas a ground assault would yield quicker results with much less cost. If we had gotten the supplies we needed I could've started experimenting with the new designs I've been working on."

"What do these designs entail?" Jigsaw asked, his interest peaked at the thought of getting his hands on some blueprints.

"I've made a few new ship designs that should travel quicker and carry more supplies as well as few ideas on how to make use of Fire Dust," Samuel replied, happy to talk about his passion.

"Fire Dust?" Lucifer mused, instantly getting everyone's attention. "I haven't heard of this material. What is it?"

"It's a mixture of several elements made by alchemists," Neia spoke up. "It's usually used either for medicinal purposes or when the nobles wanted to set off some fireworks."

 _Ah, Fire Dust is their name for gunpowder. Come to think of it I don't actually have much of a navy unless you count the ships that I acquired by taking over the Baharuth Empire, the Draconic Kingdom, and the Holy Kingdom._

"You know Samuel, I don't have many in my empire with naval experience. What would you say if I offered you a job overseeing the construction of my own navy?" Lucifer asked. Neia and Samuel stared at the Immortal Emperor with wide eyes. "You will, of course, be paid a significant amount for your services."

"Tr-truly your majesty?" Samuel stuttered, finding it hard to believe that he would be offered a job like that out of the blue.

 _I don't see why not. Jigsaw is going to be busy enough as it is with all the projects I have lined up for him. This ought to lessen the workload for both him and Demiurge._

"Of course. It's clear that you have a sufficient amount of expertise and I could use someone with naval experience," Lucifer declared with a smile full of false charm.

"I-I would very much like to accept your offer, but what about Neia?" Samuel asked as Lucifer suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

 _Whatever. I can bring her in too if that's what the situation calls for. How much of a difference does one more human make? Answer: Not very much at all. Wow, is this really how I think now? I'm kind of an asshole._

"She may come with you if she would like," Lucifer replied, brushing off the semi-depressing thought from a moment ago and carrying on as if it never happened. Neia's eyes consistently shined brighter every time she heard Lucifer speak. He was the epitome of everything a ruler should strive to be. He was benevolent, he was levelheaded, he was intelligent, and he was strong. If only Queen Hope had been more like him.

"Here we are my lord," Neia announced as they came to a large set of doors with an enormous blood red pentagram emblazoned upon them. "Behind these doors lies the Dark Council Chamber as well as three other rooms labeled as the Treasury and Throne Room with Hell's Garden connecting the three rooms. Hell's Garden is where the monsters that we mentioned will be."

"I see," Lucifer murmured. "Please open the door. Shalltear and I will deal with anything that tries to harm you."

 _Unless it has a world item. In that case your survival will not be a priority._

"Yes your highness!" Neia beamed as she pushed the doors open revealing a garden of eternally burning trees, thorn covered vines, and a massive fountain of blood in the middle of the room. Neia hadn't taken two steps into the room when about 20 pale, lanky figures dressed in dark rags emerged from the fountain of blood and started stalking towards her.

 _Vampires._

"I can smell her, she's a juicy little morsel."

"Can I have her?"

"No, you got the first pick of the last one. You'll have to settle for the old man."

"She's cute, but I think I'm cuter. Right Soran?"

"Shut up Evina!"

"BLOOD! BLOOD! BLOOD!"

 _These aren't NPCs or POP spawns, they're indigenous to this world. They make a bad first impression. They're the first indigenous vampires I've come across other than a few who are with Zuranon._

"Get down on your knees and await death, worms," Lucifer's cold voice pierced through the vampires' rambling and caused them to shoot glares at him as he raised his hand to cast [Grasp Heart] until…..

"It's him!" one of the vampires screamed. "He's the one from the walls! Father Blood!" The other vampires immediately dropped to their knees as if in prayer and started muttering insanely to themselves.

"We were threatened by Father Blood, such an honor."

"The Seer's insight proves true once again."

"YES! KILL US!"

"I-I don't really want to die, but if it is Father Blood's will…."

"All hail Father Blood!"

"The future is now!"

"Our Antichrist is finally here!"

"Lord Dracul, do you know these people?" Samuel asked.

"No, but they seem to know me," Lucifer stated as he slowly lowered his hand with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What's going on out here?" a woman's voice called out from the room to right, the Dark Council Chamber. She was an elven vampire with short dark blue hair and was dressed in a black dress that showed a LOT of cleavage and a LOT of leg. (Anyone know who Elvira is? I took inspiration from her dress.)

"Miss Raina!" Evina cried. "Father Blood has arrived, just as the seer predicted!" This got the vampiric woman's attention and she turned her head so fast to stare at Lucifer that bones could be heard popping.

"Lord Dracul, it is an honor to finally meet you," Raina said as she bowed. "My name is Raina Fortuna. If you would follow me, I'm sure the Seer would like to speak with you." Lucifer's eyes narrowed as he analyzed her and the other vampires present. None of them were strong enough to present any real threat to him, but he would remain vigilant nonetheless.

"Shalltear, accompany Samuel, Neia, and Jigsaw to the Treasury and look around for anything useful. We will rendezvous either once my business with this Seer is finished or they foolishly attempt to attack us," Lucifer commanded.

"Yes father," Shalltear responded, albeit with an uneasy look in her eye, as she led the humans and the Frankenstein into the room on the left.

"Now where's this Seer of yours?"

* * *

"….and if that wasn't bad enough, now even more trolls have begun pouring into the country!" Kellinci yelled in an aggravated tone. The other mayors weren't nearly as vocal as he was about the escalating situation with the trolls, but they understood his frustration all too well. Silver Thread Bird had been helpful in driving back the trolls, but there was only so much a single adamantite ranked team could do. After all, they couldn't be everywhere at once.

"Well, as much as I hate to be optimistic, I happen to have some good news," Kabelia spoke up. "We have received supplies from the Eternal Empire that should prove to be effective in our fight." The other mayors turned to her with surprised looks on their faces.

"You mean that vampire has sent us something to help us?" Zabek asked in disbelief.

"Yes, delivered by Skeleton Dragons no less. He sent us about 200 weapons with 2nd tier fire runes carved upon them. By the looks of them, I'd say they were the works of dwarven craftsmanship," Kabelia said with a nod.

"So the Immortal Emperor does care about others!" Fai exclaimed happily. "Maybe he isn't such a bad guy after all?"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Kabelia interrupted. "Along with the swords was an official letter from Lucifer Dracul's wife, Empress Albedo Dracul. It was….alarming."

"What did it say?" Kellinci asked, his one remaining rabbit ear standing up straight.

"Respected mayors of the City State Alliance, the Eternal Empire would like to provide you with these armaments to assist you in your fight against the trolls. As trolls are weak against fire, we suspect that you will find these weapons to be most useful. However, my husband would like to inform you that the fact that the trolls have done so much damage and have gained so much ground in your territory has called your ability to lead and protect your people into question. Furthermore, if you are unable to resolve this situation quickly, we will assume that your country is too weak to protect its citizens and take matters into our own hands. By Imperial Law laid down by the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, we are not obligated to assist other countries or provide humanitarian aid to those who are not citizens of our great empire. However, if the situation continues to deteriorate, we will proceed under the assumption that the reason you're continuing to fail your people is because the City State Alliance is no longer effective and therefore should be removed. The citizens of this fallen nation will be welcome to march under the imperial banner as our territory naturally expands to cover this lawless territory. Signed, the Immortal Empress Albedo Dracul." The room went completely silent as Kabelia finished reading off the letter.

"Are-are they serious?" Kellinci muttered.

"Meanie," Fai pouted childishly.

"Arrogant bastards!" Zabek roared. "Do they really think they can just walk on in here and claim our cities?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Kabelia sighed, getting perplexed looks from the other mayors. "If things continue to get worse, all Lucifer will have to do is wait until we're at our weakest and then simply have his armies march into our cities without any resistance. A plan even Jircniv would be proud of."

"But wouldn't he have to deal with the trolls?" Fai asked.

"Remember Katze Plains?" Kabelia rebuked, instantly shutting Fai down. "The most we can hop for at this point is a stalemate. Perhaps the weapons they provided us can make enough of a difference."

"I sure as hell hope so," Zabek grumbled.

* * *

The Troll Lord Gral was aggravated by how Demiurge had "forgotten" to mention details such as this back when he agreed to help the Eternal Empire. When Demiurge told him that all of the trolls' might must be focused on the City State Alliance, he had no problems with those orders. But now…..

"Director Demiurge," Gral began, masking his frustration with the spectacle wearing demon that sat across from him drinking tea. "Would you please enlighten me as to why your country has aided our mutual enemies by providing them with weapons that negate our healing factor?"

"And why should I do that?" Demiurge asked with a smirk.

"Because if you don't, I'd refuse to continue helping you forcing you to take my life to ensure my silence but would also cause a delay in your plans," Gral replied with a deathly calm look on his face. "Last time I checked, your Immortal Emperor seeks this to be resolved as efficiently as possible and I don't think he'd appreciate the delay." Demiurge's glared from behind his glasses as he set down his tea.

 _This filthy troll is slightly more intelligent then I gave him credit for. He knows that he's useful but he also knows his place before the Supreme One. Very well Gral….._

"We need to drive the City State Alliance into a corner without causing too much damage to the city infrastructure," Demiurge finally responded. "By giving them the weapons, we have given them the means to end the trolls' advance and bring this little war to a stalemate. Neither side will gain or lose ground during this stalemate so no further damage will be inflicted on the cities and will also maximize the bloodshed making each side desperate for a solution."

"And that's where the Eternal Empire comes in?" Gral guessed.

"Correct," Demiurge smirked. "Your fellow Troll Lord, Rex, seems to relish in the glory of battle. However, if there is no noticeable change in the stalemate, he will seek alternative solutions to regain momentum. A solution you will provide."

"And what will that solution be?"

"We have Neuronist extracting that from a few members of Ijaniya as we speak," Demiurge replied with a sinister grin. Gral didn't know who or what Neuronist was, but judging by the look on Demiurge's face he decided that it was best not to ask.

"Very well, sir," Gral sighed. "How long do you think you will need to extract the information you seek?"

"Not very long at all. Neuronist is quite proficient at her job."

* * *

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Lakyus said as she and the other members of Blue Rose sat down across from Ainzach.

"Forget about it," Ainzach replied dismissively. "Would you like something to drink? My receptionist, Laura, does more than just organize all the paperwork Dracul makes us do."

"We're fine, thanks," Tia declined.

"Speak for yourself, I could go for a drink," Gargan said with a grin.

"So, what can I do for you?" Ainzach asked.

"We have some questions about the new Adventurer's Guild that Dracul has had built," Evileye spoke up. "Apparently he left you in charge of making sure it all goes according to his will."

"We want to know what you intend to do to protect the adventurers from him and how we can help," Tina spoke up.

"Even after what happened in the Holy Kingdom, you still want to try to stand against him?" Ainzach asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"With how rapidly his power and influence is expanding, I think it's more important now more than ever to stop him," Lakyus declared. "At this rate, Lucifer Dracul will rule the entire continent by the end of the year."

"Is that really such a bad thing?"

"Eh?" Gargan muttered with a confused expression on her face.

"Think about it. Ever since he started taking over countries, the citizens lives have only improved," Ainzach pointed out. "For example, the citizens of E-Rantel no longer have to worry about nobles, crime, religious inquisitions, starving to death, or being drafted into fighting a war that I don't give a damn about. If all we have to do to keep living like this is let Dracul and his Legion keep conquering people then I'm just fine with that. Besides, from what I've seen, he's saved more people than he's killed. Just look at the Holy Kingdom for example."

"What about the guild?" Evileye asked. "He's made our job that we've devoted our lives to obsolete. Monsters are becoming citizens and Death Knights take care of anything that endangers the people. Now that he's taken control of the guild he may use you as instruments of war!"

"It wouldn't make sense for him to use us," Ainzach pointed out. "Why would he use us when his own forces are far more powerful than we are? As for how we are obsolete, his majesty wants to employ us as explorers and hone our skills so we can hold our own against various threats. I don't really see why you're all making such a big deal out of this."

"You do realize how badly this could go if Lucifer suddenly decided to turn against the people, right?" Lakyus asked with a glare.

"Of course I do, but it wouldn't make any sense," Ainzach rebuked. "If he wanted us dead he could've killed us all a hundred times over by now. He could already rule the whole continent if he wanted to but I think he cares about how this is done just as much as he cares about getting it done."

"Do you honestly think you can trust him?" Gargan asked.

"Momon trusts Lucifer and I trust Momon," Ainzach replied with a shrug. "It's good enough for me." The members of Blue Rose, except for Evileye, looked unsure whether to trust Lucifer or not. The only good things they could think of when it came to the Antichrist was what they saw him do in the Holy Kingdom and what they heard about the Dwarves. Just about everything else they knew seemed to paint him in a less than positive light. "How about this? I have to go report to his majesty tonight anyway. Why don't the four of you come along? See what he's like when he's usually like for yourselves?"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Lakyus murmured.

"Great! I'll meet you at the Administration Building. You won't believe the kind of food they serve in Nazarick!" Ainzach exclaimed with a smile.

"We already know," Evileye muttered as she thought back to the Diet. With that awkward conversation, or rather, interrogation, out of the way, Blue Rose started made its way out of the refurbished Adventurer's Guild and into the streets.

"He had a point, boss" Tia muttered.

"What do you mean?" Lakyus asked with a n eyebrow raised.

"Well think about it. It's no secret that the nobles mistreated the commoners on an almost daily basis back when this city was a part of Re-Estize, no offence Lakyus," Gargan said. "Think about the places Dracul has conquered. The Draconic Kingdom agreed to hand their territory over, the Beastmen Country had been eating people, and there wasn't really any government left to restore order to the Holt Kingdom. With the exception of what happened on Katze Plains, he seems to be an okay ruler."

"I get it, really, I do," Lakyus sighed. "But Renner doesn't trust him and I trust Renner. She's my friend and she's the kindest, most pure-hearted girl I know. If we can't trust the Golden Princess, then who can we trust?" Tina and Tia nodded at each other as they agreed with their leader's words, Gargan smirked and shook her head as she too believed in Lakyus' friend. Evileye was the only one who remained silent. After all, she trusted Momon, who she saw as someone even greater than the Golden Princess, above all others. "Princess Renner believes that the time to stand against the Antichrist will soon be upon us. We will defeat him before he has the chance to spread his evil throughout the world!"

"But what if he's not what you or Renner think?" Evileye asked, snapping Lakyus out of her monologue.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

* * *

"It's him!"

"Father Blood."

"The Antichrist!"

"Please bite my neck!"

"Let me smell you!"

"Let me touch you!

"Fuck me!"

"No! Fuck ME!"

"Bitch, I saw him first!"

"All hail Lucifer Dracul!"

"I'm too excited to say meh!"

 _And I thought the NPCs were crazy._

"Alright, make way you idiots! He's meeting with the Seer!" Raina yelled as she led Lucifer towards the Dark Council Chamber through a crowd of vampires that had gathered in Hell's Garden all grasping at him and his cloak as if he were a celebrity or some sort of messiah. Those who weren't calling out to him or trying to touch him had gotten on their knees as if they were praying and started chanting an eerie tune that Lucifer found to be all too familiar. After all, he himself had been humming it what seemed like an eternity ago.

"Prick your finger it is done, the moon has now eclipsed the sun. Angel now has spread its wings, the time has come for bitter things. Prick your finger it is done, the moon has now eclipsed the sun. Angel now has spread its wings, the time has come for bitter things. Prick your finger it is done, the moon has now eclipsed the sun. Angel now has spread its wings, the time has come for bitter things."

 _So this is how the Pope back on Earth feels. Strangely enough, this isn't the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me._

"Would you care to explain to me why so many vampires are living here when the Platinum Dragon Lord is known to reside rather close to you with only a single, albeit large, room separating you?" Lucifer inquired.

"It was a deal that the Seer and Zydrayis worked out," Raina replied as she continued to lead him through the crowd. "The Seer promised that he and his fellow vampires would fend off any intruders who made it this far for Zydrayis as long as he allows them to live in the garden and Dark Council Chamber. Of course Zydrayis had us move everything he dumped in there to the Throne Room where he usually stays now."

"And he never comes in here to make sure you aren't plotting anything?"

"No. He knows we don't stand a chance against him," Raina said before smirking a little. "Although, it probably also has something to do with the fact that the door to the Throne Room is too small for him to fit through so if he ever wants to check on us he has to leave from the hole in the Throne Room he made and go all the way around the city and through the passages to get in here. So he just never leaves damn Throne Room. Until recently, that is. He disappeared a while ago after some guy in silver armor broke in here. Apparently they worked out some sort of deal."

 _Who's this guy in silver armor? He was strong enough to fight through all these vampires and get to the Platinum Dragon Lord? That's rather impressive by this world's standards. I'll have to investigate this matter. Speaking of this world's standards, I almost forgot._

[Demiurge.]

[My lord!]

[Once you have concluded your business with Troll Lord Gral, I would appreciate it if you would summon Go Gin and report to Nazarick. There is much to discuss.]

[As you command my lord. I will finish up here and report to Nazarick with haste.]

[Very good. I will see you there.]

By the time he had finished [Message]ing Demiurge, Raina had led him to a set of double doors marked with several demonic symbols.

"This is the Dark Council Chamber. The Seer will be eager to meet you at last," Raina stated before walking off to get the crowd under control. Lucifer silently opened the doors and walked inside, examining every inch of the room. It looked quite similar to the meeting room in Nazarick apart from a darker color scheme, black markings all over the walls, and the fact it looked like no one had cleaned in here in centuries.

"Ah, great one, you are here at last," a raspy voice called out. Lucifer turned to see sickly, elderly looking man covered head to toe in black robes with a piece of cloth covering his eyes.

 _Strange, I can't tell how powerful he is. Either something is interfering or he's strong enough to keep me from seeing. I shouldn't take my eyes off him._

"I take it you are the Seer I've heard so much about," Lucifer drawled. "You and your people seem to know a great deal about me. What is it that you want?"

"Only for you to listen and kill me once we are done here," the Seer replied in a surprisingly happy tone. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at the odd request but remained silent prompting the withered vampire to continue. "Many years ago when the Evil Deities brought death and destruction upon the land, I hunted and killed many humans, demihumans, and heteromorphs to acquire their souls to use in a Wild Magic ritual that would allow me to see the future. It took decades, but eventually I was able to enact the ritual and, although I lost my ability to see in the process, I was gifted with sight of the future, or at least a possible future."

"So you're saying that the ritual showed you some sort of prophecy?" Lucifer inquired as he stared at the blind man.

"I am uncertain if prophecy is the correct term as it is merely a possible future. Nothing, be it past, present, or future, is set in stone."

"Would you happen to have a record of this vision?"

"What did you think the markings on the walls were?" the Seer asked with a toothless grin. Lucifer turned his gaze once again to the strange markings that covered the walls. Upon closer inspection, they resembled hieroglyphics that had once been by the ancient Egyptians from Earth, although these were all of rather quality. Oh well, you can't expect a masterpiece from a blind man. Much like how Egyptian hieroglyphics showed their gods as larger than life and lording over their subjects, Lucifer was displayed as the largest figure of them all. It was a little eerie to be honest.

"Would you care to explain this vision you had?"

"Of course," the Seer replied as he gestured to what appeared to be Nazarick between two worlds. "The first image if of your arrival in our world from the realm of gods."

 _This is ridiculous. I don't care how accurate this prophecy crap is. It's never a good idea to put too much faith in the ravings of a blind lunatic or in prophecies at all for that matter. This is like that Book of Revelations bullshit I…or rather…..Suzuki Satoru was taught back at the orphanage._

The Seer continued to explain several more images that Lucifer recognized such as his meeting with Jircniv, the Battle of Katze Plains, and his "battle" with Jaldabaoth. But that where he stopped recognizing events. The next few were of him between a male elf and a teenage girl clad in black and white wielding a scythe and two small boys with devil horns standing beside him and Albedo. But the one after that really got his attention. He was doing battle with a man in silver armor as a battle raged on around them. Unlike all the other markings he'd seen so far, this one was in red instead of black.

"Is there a particular reason this one is a different color?" Lucifer asked.

"As I said before, nothing is set in stone. Any markings that are red signify a point of time where there is a possibility that you may die," the Seer said solemnly. "If you live, more of my vision will come to pass. If you don't, anything else is inconsequential." Lucifer stiffened at the thought and started skipping over other parts of the prophecy, looking for anything red and glancing at a few potential significant moments.

Among the red markings he found, there was what appeared to be the Holy City of Humanika burning, several battles between himself facing other gods, a man with dragon wings sprouting from his back shouting at him, anything that involved what looked like romans and green men carrying guns in the same picture, something about him fighting a giant squid, him and what appeared to be a shepherd waging a war on more of those giant squids, and finally, the same shepherd and himself were staring at each other as if deciding whether to kill each other or not.

 _I'm a lot more likely to die than I thought. Shit._

"Do you know when these events may come to pass?" Lucifer asked, the only reason he was able to keep his voice steady was due to his undead nature suppressing his emotions.

"No," the Seer said with a slight smirk. "But I do know what will happen should you prevail over your many obstacles." With that, the Seer pointed to the very end of the wall which depicted Lucifer surrounded by planets, controlling everything as he saw fit. One of those planets in particular caught Lucifer's eye.

 _Earth. My old home. I still may not believe in this prophecy business, but the thought of returning to Earth as an all-powerful vampire overlord with an army of the undead is rather enticing._

"All in all, none of this is very helpful besides telling me that there are several points in the future where I may die," Lucifer sighed. "Why show me any of this?"

"To prove that the restrictions of Yggdrasil do not apply here in this new world and you may become stronger here than what the realm of gods allowed for," the Seer explained. "After all, I, a mere Floor Guardian was able to do it." Lucifer's eyes widened momentarily as he stared where the Seer's eyes used to be. "My true name is Balthazar Sinclaire, last Floor Guardian of the Great Floating Fortress of Eryuentiu, home of the guild once known as Purgatory."

 _He's a goddamn NPC!_

"The other Floor Guardians and their minions went mad when the Supreme Ones killed one another and, after substantial infighting, took out their rage and grief on the rest of the world," the Seer, or rather, Balthazar continued. "I was spared from the insanity because I was carrying out the orders of my creator, Lady Beelzebub. She wanted me to discover if we could use magic that was not from Yggdrasil in this new world and, if so, make use of it. This what led me to learn the Wild Magic ritual in first place. But by the time I was done, the Supreme Ones were already gone and my former comrades were being hunted by the Thirteen Heroes. And so I have waited here for you in order to make use of the knowledge I obtained and, at long last, I have carried out my lady's last wish."

"And this is why you want me to kill you?" Lucifer inquired, slightly shook by the insane tone Balthazar's voice had taken.

"Now I can die and be with her again. There is only one last thing to do. Please follow me Lord Dracul." And with his rant complete, Balthazar led Lucifer to the Throne Room where the Platinum Dragon Lord usually resided with many of his vampire followers beginning to crowd around the two of them. The room, like the rest of the floating city, was dirty, decayed, and dark.

 _This guy is completely out of his mind. Would my Floor Guardians end up like him if I passed away or vanished? I won't let that happen to the NPCs. Not Albedo, not Demiurge, not Cocytus, not Shalltear, not a single fucking one of them._

"We are here Lord Dracul," Balthazar announced as he gestured to a throne that sat upon an elevated platform. There it was, leaning against the back of the throne: Guilty Ordinance, the Guild Weapon of Purgatory. It was a beautiful and elegant sword fit for a demon king. A little gaudy, but beautiful overall. The destruction of a guild weapon would mean the end of that guild, but to claim it as a spoil of war…well…that hadn't been an option in Yggdrasil. Lucifer picked up the sword and gave it a quick practice swing. As expected, its status as a guild weapon allowed him to overcome class restrictions to wield the weapon.

"Mine," he muttered quietly with a smirk. The moment that word left his mouth, all of Eryuentiu shook as if a great beast had awakened.

"Congratulations Lord Dracul, you are now the master of Guilty Ordinance as well as the Floating Fortress of Eryuentiu. Now if you wouldn't mind, KILL ME!" Balthazar bellowed with a psychotic grin on his face. "Send me to my lady!" By this point, all of Balthazar's followers, Shalltear, Jigsaw. Samuel, and Neia had gathered around to see what the commotion was about. "I have ingested every last silver potion that had been left here and disabled all of my abilities that prevent me from taking damage! You can kill me with single attack! DO IT!"

 _Whatever. Makes no difference to me._

"Very well then. On your knees," Lucifer stated coldly. Balthazar grinned as he fell to his knees and faced his followers.

"Rejoice my disciples!" Balthazar exclaimed. "With my death, our ascension begins! Follow the Antichrist and he will lead you to greatness!"

 _Psychopath._

"All hail Father Blood!" Balthazar cried as Guilty Ordinance sliced through his neck and spine, decapitating him and causing his head to roll across the floor. After a few moments of silence, the vampires all started cheering.

"All hail Father Blood!" Raina shouted.

"Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood! Father Blood!"

 _Maniacs. Still, a group of religious zealots may be useful as long as they are kept on a tight leash._

"Silence," he commanded in his usual cold tone with his patented "You're making too much noise, quiet down" movement, his voice echoing throughout the room. "Although I have now taken control of Eryuentiu, this place is in need of numerous repairs and additional improvements. Miss Fortuna, I would like you to take charge and oversee the restoration of Eryuentiu so it may dominate the skies once again."

"I will prove myself worthy of your trust, my lord!" Raina declared.

"Very good. I suggest you begin immediately. I will be sending a few of my servants to assist you with the restoration efforts as well as supply you with any materials you need," Lucifer said before turning to his daughter. "Shalltear, gather Jigsaw, Samuel, and Neia. We're leaving. Shalltear, if you would."

"Yes father. [Gate]!"

* * *

All of the important members of the National Liberation Party had assembled in the main dining room of the mansion that had once belonged to the Mayor of E-Pespel. Sebas, Freddon, Brain, Climb, and Princess Renner had all gathered around the large table in the middle of the room and had laid out a large map of Re-Estize with several red Xs marking select areas around the capital. The women of Blue Rose were absent because they had gone ahead a few days ago to see how E-Rantel had faired under the Immortal Emperor's reign for themselves.

"With E-Pespel fallen, the Noble faction's forces will logically fall back to Re-Estize to secure the capital to defend Zanack and the remaining nobles," Sebas mused.

"Standard Royal Protocol would call for a full city lockdown in case of an invading army," Renner informed everyone. "Getting into the city undetected is going to be nearly impossible."

"What if we used some of the old passages the Eight Fingers used to smuggle contraband in and out of the city?" Freddon suggested.

"We could send a few ex-adventurers ahead through them to act as saboteurs, but tunnels are too slim for an invading army to get through effectively," Brain replied.

"Perhaps it's time we asked the Eternal Empire to make good on its offer to assist us," Renner said, eliciting different reactions from everyone in the room.

"I'm not sure if that's-" Climb began.

"She's right," Sebas spoke up, shifting everyone's attention from Renner to himself. "The walls around Re-Estize are strong and all of Zanack's remaining strength is marshalled there. I don't think a few of Emperor Dracul's Death Knights would hurt our chances. We should head to E-Rantel and rendezvous with Blue Rose."

"So who's going to go ask him?" Freddon asked. "I'm sure as hell not going anywhere near him."

"I'll do it," Brain announced. "I'll tell him that we're making our final push against the nobles and if he wants to help us then now is the time."

 _I might get the chance to talk to Avenir too._

"I shall accompany you," Sebas declared.

 _It would be good to walk the halls of Nazarick again. It's been too long since the last time I saw Tsuare._

"Very well, we'll see you two at the rendezvous," Renner said. As everyone started making their way out of the room, Sebas turned to Climb and called him out.

"Climb, that is not the blade you were given by the former Warrior Captain," Sebas said as he gestured to his sword, the same one he had identified as Climb's backup weapon when they first met.

"Well there was a man in silver armor who broke in and-" Climb started before a slight yelp escaped his mouth as Renner started pinching his cheek.

"Please don't exert yourself Climb. You need to rest after that ordeal," Renner said worriedly before turning to Sebas. "The silver armored man broke in and attacked us while the rest of you were taking E-Pespel. Climb tried to defend me but he was overpowered and knocked unconscious. I tried to stop him but he just shoved me aside and took Razor Edge before fleeing."

"I see," Sebas replied, his expression unreadable. "Then if you will excuse me, I must depart." And with that, he left the room and started making his way to the carriage.

 _This explains why the Shadow Demon we assigned to her hasn't given us any updates. Demiurge, Albedo, and Lord Dracul himself all warned me about this woman's true nature. Although she seems trustworthy, it is just a mask. I should consult with Lord Dracul on this matter….no…I shouldn't bother him with these trifles. Demiurge is busy in the Troll Kingdom, so I suppose Albedo would be best. I hope she isn't in one of her moods. Who knew pregnancy could cause so many troubles?_

[Albedo, I require your input.] Sebas messaged her as he walked off.

* * *

Renner stared at Sebas as he walked off. She had always had a strange feeling about him. His rise to the position of the NLP's leader had seemed too smooth to her, as if it had been orchestrated. She knew he was hiding something, but what? There were only a few possibilities as to who he serve, but the most likely answer was that his true master was Lucifer Dracul. Renner had conspired with Nazarick as well, but she knew better than to place all her bets on the Antichrist, despite how strong he was. She had spoken with him in secret during the Diet, away from prying eyes. He had promised her a world where she and Climb could be together forever as long as she agreed to arrange for the Kingdom to slowly dissolve into the Eternal Empire once this civil war was over with. The thing is, however, Renner didn't like taking orders. Not from anyone. More importantly: he might not keep his end of the bargain and let her keep Climb as hers to love, cherish, and tie to the bed whenever she wished. Nothing would come between her and Climb. She was his forever and ever and ever and ever and ever AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER **AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER!**

 _So if this Ainz really does manage to kill him, then I can just have Climb as my king. If Dracul survives, I'll just feign ignorance. Besides, he can't kill me without making it look suspicious. It would look too suspicious if he killed me and took over. Even if he told the people that I had tried to betray them, my reputation as the Golden Princess would keep the people from believing him and may even turn them against him. That's the last thing Lucifer wants: to look like a villain. Besides, I'm the only thing that's really unifying these peasants._

A creepy grin that didn't suit her crept onto Renner's face. Yes. It would be very inconvenient for Lucifer to kill her. He needed her.

"Princess Renner, are you coming milady?" Climb called out, causing the creepy smile to disappear and become one of cheer and beauty.

"Of course, Climb! I'll be there in a minute!" Renner cheered. "Oh, and make sure we have a carriage all to ourselves! We still need to finish our discussion from the other day!"

* * *

The cart had almost arrived in E-Rantel. Nfirea, Enri, Nemu, Jugem, Hekkeran, Imina, Myriah, and several other goblins sat in the back of the cart while one of the goblins was the one driving. Normally, a trip to E-Rantel from Carne Village would take several days, but with the Soul Eaters that had been provided by the Eternal Empire the trip only took a few hours at most. Enri, Nfirea, and Nemu had spent the entire ride filling Myriah'ss head with tales of Lucifer and his empire, not to mention their own personal experiences with him.

"-And after the battle with Prince Barbro's forces, Lord Dracul started sending a bunch of Skeleton Workers over to the village and started building a road between us and the city he's having built near Nazarick!" Enri rambled on excitedly.

"Is it really possible for someone to accomplish so much in so little time?" Myriah asked with a dazed look on her face.

"It is if you're him," Imina said. "He is a god after all."

"He is!?"

"Who did you think that church was dedicated to?" Hekkeran added. Myriah thought back to the strange church where the Elder Lich had healed her. Although the details had been blurry, she clearly remembered the stained glass mosaic of the imposing vampire. His arms had been outstretched and the mosaic was divided into two. On the left half, life flourished, there was peace and harmony, and a rose was growing from his left hand. On the right half, there was a depiction of hell with a burning skull being held in his right hand. But it was those eyes that really got her attention. They were terrifying yet beautiful, piercing yet calming, soulless yet caring. Finally, the ivory gates that led into E-Rantel came into view, as did the Death Knights and Elder Liches protecting it.

"Halt!" an Elder Lich commanded as the cart stopped at E-Rantel's gates. Myriah shivered in fear as two Death Knights started inspecting the carriage and the Elder Lich approached Enri menacingly. "Papers, please."

"C'mon Captain Mors, we've been here enough times for you to know us," Enri moaned as she and all of the other passengers, excluding Myriah, handed small official-looking documents over to the Elder Lich.

"It's just standard procedure, Chief," Mors mumbled as he looked over the papers before who turning his dead eyes to Myriah questioningly. "Where are her papers?"

"I found her collapsed in the middle of the road on my way to Carne," Gondo spoke up. "She's a refuge from the Elf Country, which is why she doesn't have any papers."

"What brings her here?"

"She would like to speak with the Immortal Emperor about the ongoing situation in her country," Nfirea added.

"Is that so?" Mors mused as he stared at the small elf. Myriah managed to respond with a firm nod, despite the terror she felt when Mors turned his gaze to her. "Very well, but if you wish to either receive a guest pass or become a citizen of the Eternal Empire, you will have to visit the Ministry of Immigration in the Administration Building and fill out an application."

"Enri, Nfirea, and I will stick with her," Gondo informed Mors. "We have to report to Immortal Emperor later anyway, so she may as well stick close to us."

"Yay! We're going to go see Uncle Lucy-fer!" Nemu exclaimed, earning a few sweatdrops from those around.

"Very well sir," Mors nodded, completely ignoring Nemu's outburst. "You may proceed into the city." And with that the gates opened, revealing the city on the other side. Humans, demihumans, and heteromorphs filled the streets going about their daily business, dragons flew overhead delivering supplies or acting as transportation for those who couldn't fly, and undead creatures patrolled every street. The blood red banners of the Eternal Empire hung from every building, the roads were paved in stone bricks, and most of the old wooden buildings had been torn down and replaced with buildings made of marble, stone, and iron.

"C'mon," Enri called, snapping Myriah out of her trance. "We need to get you authorized before sundown if we want to make it to the meeting! After all, you're the first elf to join the Eternal Empire!"

"Huh?" Myriah asked nervously, looking to Imina as a fellow elf, of half elf at least, for support only to find her had already headed off into the city with Hekkeran rushing to catch up with her.

"C'mon Hekkeran!" Imina shouted. "It's been too long since we've seen Arche and this reunion calls for booze, booze, booze!"

* * *

Corvo and Jessamine sat across from each other, eating lunch in silence. Very. Awkward. Silence. The two of them hadn't been entirely sure how to interact with each other after last night. Jessamine stared down at her food with a persistent blush on her face while Corvo chewed in silence and occasionally rubbed at his stubble, not entirely sure what to do in this situation. His face was completely blank. Not even his usual glare was present.

"Uh, Corvo," Jessamine finally spoke up. "About last night….."

"Huh?" Corvo grunted in his usual grumpy attitude.

"I'm sorry about last night."

"It's fine," Corvo responded curtly. A few more minutes of silence passed until one of them spoke again.

"Nigun told me about your boss," Jessamine finally said. Corvo's fists clenched and his eyes widened as he stared at her.

 _Nigun you fucking idiot! I'm not going to have to kill her to protect my cover am I? I don't want to kill her! The mission comes first! Remember your purpose Corvo Attano! You are a Vengeful Spirit created by the Supreme One and it is your honor, not to mention your duty, to serve him!_

"He said that he would help liberate the elves from and give them equal rights," Jessamine continued. "I want to help." Corvo's eyes narrowed at her. If he went ahead and made this decision, would he get in trouble like Sebas had? No, Sebas had been reprimanded because he didn't inform Lucifer about the girl. Corvo wouldn't make that mistake, plus Lucifer was aware of Jessamine's existence already. He would ensure this was done correctly.

"I'm not the one who makes this sort of decision," Corvo sighed. "Although freeing the elves is part of our goals, it is not our ultimate objective. If you still want to help us despite knowing this, I can take you to my lord as long as you remain calm when you learn who and what he is. Can you do that?"

"Of course!" Jessamine exclaimed as she stared at him with determination and the smile that usually adorned her features finally returned.

"Good," Corvo grunted before casting [Message].

[My lord.]

[Corvo, it has been quite some time.]

[You are aware of the human woman I am shacked up with?]

[Of course.]

[She would like to meet you. Although she is not aware of your identity, she is aware that I do not truly serve the Slane Theocracy. She wants to help us.]

[Bring her to me. It's about time I met this human, face to face. Meet me in the Administration Building in E-Rantel, I have a few humans to drop off.]

[Very well my lord.] Corvo ended the [Message] before casting yet another one.

[Ms. Omega.]

[Hello Lord Attano! How my I help you?]

[Could you arrange for a [Gate] to appear at my current coordinates? There is a human I wish to take before the master to gain his permission to bring her into the fold.]

[You do realize the risk you're taking here, right?]

[I am fully aware, however she has substantial knowledge of the elven slave trade throughout the Slane Theocracy. Her information and familiarity with the area may prove useful.]

[Alrighty then! One [Gate] coming up!]

Moments after the [Message] ended, a [Gate] appeared in the middle of Jessamine's living room, prompting a small "eek" from the elven rights activist.

"This will take us to see my master," Corvo informed her. Jessamine didn't move and simply stared the [Gate] in fear. With a small sigh, Corvo gently took her hand in order to gain her attention. "You know, I found your actions last night to be rather enjoyable," he said quietly as he turned his face away from her, hiding the smallest of blushes that had appeared on his face. His words finally snapped Jessamine out of her trance and she stared at him before letting out a small laugh.

"Tsundere," she smirked, prompting him to glare at her.

"Shut up," he growled as he pushed her through the [Gate].

* * *

Myriah let out a groan as she exited the Ministry of Immigration, which was one of the several government agencies that were run from inside the former mayor's mansion. The forms she had to fill out to apply for citizenship had been tedious and boring, but it had paid off when an Elder Lich had handed Myriah her very own Identification Papers. It made her feel like she belonged somewhere, like she had a home. After all, she no longer had a home awaiting her in the Elf Kingdom. The Slane Theocracy had seen to that. Enri, Nfirea, Nemu, and Gondo were sitting in the waiting room with her along with two lizardmen named Zaryusu and Zenberu who had joined them a few minutes ago. Additionally, Ainzach and the members of Blue Rose had been waiting there for a few hours now. Ainzach, Tina, Tia, and Gargan had all fallen asleep in their seats while Lakyus paced the room restlessly and Evileye daydreamed about Momon. Myriah collapsed into her seat with a sigh and continued on with her childish groaning, prompting Lakyus to look at her with an eyebrow raised.

"You just finished the application for citizenship, didn't you?" Zaryusu guessed with a smirk. His response was another moan. "Look on the bright side, you won't have to do it again."

"Well if that's everyone, we should ask the Gatekeeper to open a portal to Nazarick," Gondo said as he hopped out of his seat.

"Is it really that simple?" Evileye asked.

"As long as the Gatekeeper clears you and you have proper authorization, yeah. After all, you'd have to be suicidal to try anything in Lord Dracul's home," Enri answered. "The creatures that guard that place are beyond powerful."

"Have you ever been to E-Rantel, Brain?" a voice from outside the room asked.

"A few times, but not since the Battle of Katze Plains," another voice replied. Seconds later, the duo of Sebas and Brain turned the corner and entered the room. "Looks like we're not alone."

"Good evening," Sebas said with a bow. "I am Sebas Tian of the National Liberation Party and this is Brain Unglaus. "We were told to come here to seek an audience with the Immortal Emperor. Is this the right place?"

"Sebas," Lakyus called out with a wave. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise."

"Hey, what about me?" Brain cut in.

"Why are you guys here anyway?" Evileye asked.

"The time has come for us to see if the Immortal Emperor will honor his agreement to support us in our struggle for freedom," Sebas replied.

"And once again, I am ignored," Brain grumbled.

"Hi!" Enri suddenly yelped. "Er, did I hear you right? You're Sebas Tian? The leader of the rebellion against the Re-Estize Kingdom?"

"A lot of us just call him Gramps," Brain added with a smirk.

"You know I hate it when you call me that," Sebas stated as he sent Brain a playful glare. Before anyone could say anything else, a [Gate] appeared as Corvo and Jessamine stepped out from the swirling darkness.

"Wow! What was that?" Jessamine exclaimed. "One minute when Humanika and the next minute we're in….where are we?"

"E-Rantel," Nfirea spoke up.

"E-Rantel!" Jessamine finished before the smile completely disappeared from her face. "Wait a minute. E-Rantel? E-Rantel! Corvo, isn't this city under control of the Immortal Emperor!?"

"Yup! Lucy-fer is the best!" Nemu cheered. Jessamine began to shake like a leaf as her eyes darted all over the room from the humans, to Gondo, to the lizardmen, to the Death Knights standing guard at the door. Just as she was about to start hyperventilating, Corvo grabbed her hand firmly.

"We're fine," he said quietly in way that did not match his usual gruff mannerisms. Jessamine was still terrified but it helped calm her down if nothing else.

And then another [Gate] opened.

The first two figures were normal humans, Neia and Samuel, but those that followed became increasingly monstrous. First came Shalltear, then Jigsaw, and then finally Lucifer himself stepped into the room. Brain froze, the sleeping members of Blue Rose woke up and grabbed their weapons, Myriah started shivering as if she was naked in the Arctic, and Jessamine outright fainted prompting Corvo to grab her before she fell to the floor.

"Well, I didn't expect such a large audience upon my return," Lucifer mused.

"Lucy-fer!" Nemu exclaimed as she jumped at him and latched onto his leg.

"Oh, hello little Nemu," Lucifer said good naturedly as he patted the little girl's head.

 _How do I get this thing off me? Fuck it._

Upon seeing the child's antics Enri, Nfirea, and Gondo let out soft chuckles, Brain's jaw dropped, Sebas raised an eyebrow, the members of Blue Rose stared dumbfounded, Ainzach snorted, Shalltear suppressed a growl, and Jigsaw proceeded not to give a damn.

"Lord Dracul, it is an honor to see you again," Gondo said as he made a polite bow.

"There is no need to bow to me Gondo," Lucifer said in his usual façade of kindness. "There is no need for such formalities between friends.

"Fr-friends? Ah, yes! Sorry about that," Gondo exclaimed with a smile as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Enri, Nfirea, I see you're doing well."

"Yes my lord."

"Yes my lord."

"Zaryusu, Zenberu, I take it you're here because there has been progress in your village?"

"Yes my lord," Zaryusu replied as Zenberu nodded. "High General Cocytus said he would meet us in Nazarick and that we should report here."

"Excellent."

"It's good to see you milord," Ainzach spoke up. "Blue Rose would like to accompany us for the meeting, if that's alright with you."

"I don't have any particular issue with this," Lucifer responded as he cast his cold gaze over the all-female adamantite team before turning to his creation. "Corvo, it's been too long."

"Indeed."

"Last but not least….you…..," Lucifer trailed off as he turned to the shivering elf. "Might I ask who you are?"

"I-I-I'm Myriah, formerly of the Elf Kingdom a-and, as of a few minutes ago, a citizen of your empire, L-Lord Dracul," she stuttered as she bowed hastily.

 _Elf Kingdom? I had prepared for a quick and small meeting but it looks like I'm going to have to roll out the red carpet._

[Demiurge, would you mind bringing Vega to me in addition to Go Gin? Tonight's affairs just got a little more interesting.]

[I'll head back out immediately my lord.]

[I apologize for any inconvenience.]

[Not at all my lord! With Jaldabaoth gone my schedule has become quite open.]

[My thanks.]

"My lord, you grace us with your presence," a raspy voice said, announcing its presence. Lucifer turned to see a large hunched over creature completely wrapped in red robes so that none could see any of its skin with the exception of its sickly green hands with unnaturally long fingers and the glowing red eyes that peered from beneath its hood. It was holding a cane that had a lantern tied to it This is a Gatekeeper, a mid-level summon that is extremely weak and its only real purpose is to summon [Gate]s. This particular one was named….

"Good evening Styx," Lucifer drawled. "If you would, please open a [Gate] to Nazarick. As you can see, I am having guests."

"Of course my lord," Styx hissed as he waved his hand that wasn't holding a cane and cast: "[Gate]."

 _Honestly, I could've just cast the spell myself but him and all the other summons and NPCs always get depressed when I don't let them do their job._

"Now then, if you would all follow me," Lucifer asked/commanded as he elegantly walked towards the [Gate], or, at least as elegantly as he could with Nemu still attached to his leg.

* * *

"Your holiness, Ainz Ooal Gown has arrived."

"Good," Maximus said stiffly. "Send him in."

"Very well," the soldier said with a bow before leaving the room. The cardinals and the Archbishop stared at the doors in anticipation, eager to meet the mystery man. Finally, after a few minutes of unbearable waiting, a tall man in silver armor entered the room.

"Good evening," Ainz greeted in a heroic tone. "I am Ainz Ooal Gown. Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice."

"Think nothing of it," the Cardinal of Fire said politely. "Although we would appreciate it if you would remove your helmet."

"I'm afraid that for the sake of ensuring that we stick to our reason for meeting here, it would be best if I kept it on," Ainz rebuked. "My apologies if this offends you, ma'am."

"Very well. In light of the wealth of information you offered us it wouldn't be too much to ask for us to overlook this. Besides, it would be best if we got to the point anyway," the Cardinal of Darkness cut in before anyone could protest. "Say your piece, Sir Ainz."

"Thank you. I am assembling a coalition of powerful individuals to face the Immortal Emperor and his subordinates in the hopes that we may stop him before he achieves his goal of world domination," Ainz declared.

"I see. And who is a part of this coalition?" the Cardinal of Water asked.

"The Dragon Lords of the Agrand Council Alliance, Rigrit Bers Caurau of the Thirteen Heroes, Princess Renner of the Re-Estize Kingdom, and although I have yet to approach Angela Pious with my offer, I am inclined to believe she will accept," Ainz replied.

"I take it you wish for our support when it comes time to face the Antichrist?" Maximus stated more than asked.

"That is correct."

"Seeing as how you've named yourself after Lucifer's empire of old, is it correct to assume that you were once counted among his allies?" the Cardinal of Earth inquired.

 _That's not too far from the truth. I'll just go with it. I don't like these assholes anyway._

"Yes."

"Then why are you attempting to bring him down? What changed?" the Cardinal of Light asked.

"Allow me to be perfectly honest. I hate your country. The things you do to the elves and other nonhuman species is repulsive," Ainz stated coldly. "However, you are only a minor evil when compared to Lucifer. This is your world, and although I don't agree with what you do, he and I have no right to interfere."

"Now that you've said that, why makes you think we would follow you into battle?" the Cardinal of Wind growled, failing to hide how insulted he felt. Strangely enough, the Cardinal of Light was grinning.

"Because Lucifer won't stop until he has the world on its knees," Ainz retorted coldly. "You've seen what he's willing to do to get what he wants. Katze Plains is a perfect example. The ends NEVER justify the means, but it appears that Lucifer doesn't see it that way."

"Hypothetically speaking, let's say we agree and follow you into battle," the Cardinal of Darkness said as he analyzed the silver armored warrior from behind his glasses. "What makes you so sure that you can defeat him?"

"He and I used to spar back when we were allies," Ainz replied soberly. "We did battle many times and he could never defeat me. However, I no longer have access to my old gear, I have gathered the best weapons and armor that I could get my hands on as well as several potent magical items looted from Eryuentiu. I'd say that with what I have at my disposal, my odds of defeating him in one on one combat are 50/50." The cardinals raised their eyebrows looking impressed. So far, these were the best chances they had heard of when it came to facing the Immortal Emperor.

"And what will you do if he is defeated?" the Cardinal of Fire asked.

"I will attempt to find a way home and leave you to your own devices," Ainz declared before trailing off so that no one could hear him. "My family must be worried sick."

"I see. According to the information you provided us, attempting to attack him in Nazarick is suicidal. Where do suggest we strike?" the Cardinal of Light asked, unnaturally calm.

"I've already set the bait," Ainz said with the slightest hint of smugness. "On my way here, I encountered an unconscious elf in the forest and laid her out on a road to be found by those loyal to the Eternal Empire. Since it is not common knowledge where the Elf Kingdom's capital is, I'm certain Lucifer will jump at the chance to conquer the elves. We'll be waiting to spring a trap when he's at his weakest."

"And then we'll kill the filthy heathen!" the Cardinal of Light shouted with a mad glint in his eye.

"Actually, I would refer to take him alive," Ainz interjected. "I know a place where I coud imprison him until I find a way for us to leave this world."

"What!?" the Cardinal of Light shrieked in anger before suddenly calming himself down. "My apologies. If you insist."

 _I'll just use Loginus before you get the chance to imprison him._

"We should strike when he is at his weakest," Maximus cut in. "To conquer the elves, Dracul will have to face the strongest of elves, Augustus Connard. I have no doubt he will win, but he should at least sustain SOME damage. That's when we'll strike. Dominic, dispatch a messenger to order Zesshi to stand down until she the time to face Dracul is upon us."

"Yes, your holiness," the Cardinal of Wind replied.

"If that is all, I must depart for the former Holy Kingdom immediately to collect Ms. Pious," Ainz announced as he turned to leave. "I will contact you shortly." And with that he walked out.

"Raymond! Maximilian! Prepare the Black Scripture!" Maximus ordered. "Soon we will stamp out the Antichrist once and for all! Yvon! Ginedine! Berenice! Collect the holy relics Ahura Mazda, Wrath of God, and Downfall of Castle and Country! I want everyone back here in an hour to discuss strategy, organize our defenses, and make a backup plan should this fail."

"Yes your holiness!" the cardinals shouted as everyone rushed out of the room. Nobody noticed the sick grin on the Cardinal of Light's face.

 _I'm sorry your holiness, but it doesn't matter what you order me to do. My destiny to kill the Antichrist is written in the stars. I FOUND LOGINUS! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO'S TRULY STAYED LOYAL TO THE TEACHINGS OF THE SIX! I WILL BE REMEMBERED AS HUMANITY'S SAVIOUR AND BE UPLIFTED TO THE HEAVENS FOR MY SACRIFICE! It is my burden. My honor. My destiny._

* * *

Albedo was angry. No. Angry wasn't the right word. Fuming? Pissed off? Looked she was ready to tear someone's head off? Yeah, the last was perfect. That's why the four Dark Paladins Lucifer had left to guard her were giving her a wide berth as she started angrily pacing around her office.

"M-my empress," one of the paladins managed to choke out, its menacing voice unnaturally tinted with fear. "Is everything alright?"

"SHUT UP!" Albedo shrieked as she picked up the Dark Paladin and threw literally threw him out of the room.

"Milady!" another one of the cried in a panic. "You mustn't exert yourself! Not with Lord Dracul's heirs inside you! Especially when the date of their expected birth is so close!" That got Albedo to stop. After taking several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down and sat back down at her desk.

And then a Vampire Knight barged in.

"Milady!" he shouted, before noticing Albedo smiling at him while simultaneously giving him a death glare.

"Yeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss?" she asked in all-too-happy.

"L-Lord Dracul has returned and asked me to inform you-" the Vampire Knight didn't even get to finish as he was unceremoniously shoved out of the way as Albedo flew towards her beloved (She could smell him. How? Albedoisms.) in a much better mood than she had been a few minutes ago.

"My lord, welcome back to Nazarick," Yuri Alpha said as she greeted her master and the large entourage he had brought with him.

"Yuri, if you would, please ask Pestonya and Sous-Chef to prepare a meal for our guests and set the dining room. I apologize for the short notice," Lucifer said.

"It is no trouble my lord. We live to serve," Yuri replied just before a blur of black, white, and feathers sped towards Lucifer and latched onto him.

"HUSBAND!" Albedo cheered as he wrapped her arms around his neck in a loving embrace.

"Hello Albedo. I missed you," Lucifer stated almost mechanically, not entirely sure what to do in this situation now that he had both Nemu and Albedo stuck to him. "Yuri, would you ensure that our guests are given proper accommodations? I expect they will be staying the night."

"Very well my lord," Yuri replied before turning to a maid who had been staring at them from behind an elegant pillar. "Tsuare, please show our guests to their rooms. I will ensure that dinner is prepared."

"Y-yes Lady Alpha!" Tsuare stammered as she came out from behind the pillar and motioned for the guests to follow her, although the only one she was really looking at was Sebas.

"Thank you Tsuare," Lucifer drawled.

"C'mon Nemu, let's get you cleaned up," Enri said before she pried her little sister off of Lucifer.

"Bye-bye Lucy-fer!" Nemu called as she was carried off by her big sister to join the rest of the group. Now it was only Lucifer and Albedo left in the room.

"Albedo, would you please get off me?" Lucifer commanded more than asked.

"I don't wanna!" Albedo pouted.

 _Are the NPCs really able to disobey me like this?_

"Although, I may be willing to get off you, that is, if….." Albedo cooed with a distinct blush on her face as she tightened her grip on her beloved. "If you let me call you dear and darling and all those other things that married couples call each other."

 _GODDAMMIT! Ok, come on Lucifer, you're the Immortal Emperor, ruler of the Eternal Empire and soon the whole damn world! You're immortal for fuck's sake! She is your empress! You are responsible for making her like this, she is your responsibility, and you're going to spend the rest of your unlife with her! You better start getting comfortable around her. She I lovely after all….. BAH! FOCUS! I don't need any more vampire/demon things popping out of her right now! I don't even know what these twins are going to be like! Calm down. You've watched enough TV to know how couples are supposed to act._

"Very well…..dear," Lucifer relented. Albedo started giggling maniacally her legs tightened around Lucifer's waist and her entire body started twitching. "You were supposed to get off me, Albedo."

"I'm sorry darling," Albedo murmured in embarrassment. "But I appear to have lost control of my lower half."

 _Did she really just…she did. We'll have to work on that in the future._

"I believe it would be best if we made ourselves presentable," Lucifer said with a sigh as he walked off towards the Spa Resort on the 9th floor with Albedo still clinging to him.

* * *

 **Bonus Story: Drunks and Baby Names**

Lucifer and Albedo were relaxing in one of Nazarick's high quality communal baths, just the two of them of course. A giddy Albedo was sitting in Lucifer's lap, fiddling playfully with his wet unkempt hair and her chest pressed up against his own.

They were also completely naked. Did I forget to mention that?

 _Is she drunk or something? She's acting like a dunk._

"Darrrrrrrrrrliiiiiiiiiiing," Albedo cooed, unceasing in her "attack" on his hair. "I've been working on more baby names."

"Oh?"

"What do you think of Kraven? Or Zalgo? Or Mal? Maybe Vlad? Lucius?" Albedo rambled on, listing many, many, MANY potential names for their soon to be born sons.

"You're majesties!" Avenir called out as she ran in, blushing furiously at the sight of her superiors in such an intimate position.

"Solution, I thought we said that we wish not to be disturbed," Albedo growled as she glared at vampire.

"My apologies milady," Avenir said with a bow. "However I was told to inform Lord Dracul that Priest Hekkeran and Priestesses Imina and Arche have been arrested. It appears that they had a little reunion, got drunk, and proceeded to makes fools of themselves."

"What did they do?" Lucifer groaned.

"Priestess Arche was arrested for attempting stealing someone's hat while Priest Hekkeran and Priestess Imina were arrested for having sex in public," Avenir reported. "They're currently in holding and awaiting release."

"I see," Lucifer groaned. "Wait until they sober up and then give them adequate slap on the wrist."

"Umm...yes sir," Avenir muttered. "Should I go orrrrrrr….."

"Yes. Go," Albedo commanded with a glare, eliciting a squeak from Avenir before she ran off. Albedo turned back to her husband. "Now where were we?"

"I believe I was about to inform the twins to watch their heads in there," Lucifer growled as he grabbed her roughly and…..I don't write lemons. Go watch porn or something.


	35. The Last Supper

Chapter 34: The Last Supper

With Albedo gone to oversee preparations for dinner (how that woman continued to carry on as if she wasn't pregnant was a mystery), Lucifer had taken it upon himself to visit the guests Neuronist had locked up in her waiting room. That is, if by waiting room you mean where the people who aren't currently being tortured get locked up until it's time for their session. Torturing people efficiently means having a busy schedule. The musty room was just outside Neuronist's torture chamber who, judging by the noises coming from within, was hard at work. The members of Ijaniya that Mare had captured were all naked, chained up, and suspended from the ceiling. Most of them started shivering and whimpering the moment he stepped into the room. Except for the one at the end of the row. She had her eyes locked on the Immortal Emperor and kept her expression impassive.

"Lady Tian," Lucifer drawled as he flashed Ijaniya's top assassin a pleasant smile. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Tian didn't say a word and simply changed her expression from impassive to subtle glare. "I can see you are going to uncooperative. Very well, I'll come back later. I have many important guests to attend to anyway. Guests from across the land! Including the lovely ladies of Blue Rose." That got Tian's attention. "Oh yes, I know about your sisters. Then again, anyone who sees you can figure it out, you are identical triplets after all."

"What do you want?" Tian growled.

"Everything," Lucifer smirked. "But what I want from your specifically is your organization. I want the infamous assassins of Ijaniya to serve me."

"You could've just sent us a contract."

"You misunderstand," Lucifer smirked. "I don't want you to kill someone. I already have assassins who are far superior to your own. You would be more useful as a network of informants but what I really want pertains to your location instead of your occupation."

"What do you mean?"

"You are based in the Karnassus City-State Alliance, more specifically, the capital city of Gellara. Not only have the authorities failed to find your base of operations despite the many years they have spent searching for it, but you and your agents have been able to enter and exit the city without anyone noticing. I want to know how."

"You are asking for us to divulge information that each and every member of Ijaniya has sworn to protect. We would rather die than betray the family," Tian declared.

"Yeah!"

"You tell him, mistress!"

"Ijaniya will still be here long after you've turned to dust!"

"This family will survive!"

"You messed with the wrong people, vampire!"

"You are all prepared to die for one another?" Lucifer inquired with an eyebrow raised, somewhat surprised by the devotion shown by what he previously thought to be nothing but a bunch of killers for hire.

"Yes. You have nothing to threaten us with you bastard," Tian smirked.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong," Lucifer smirked back. "Neuronist!"

"Yes, my lord!" a girlish voice called out from the torture room as the screams of agony abruptly died down.

"Would you be so kind as to take these fools to the Black Capsule? Keep their leader outside the capsule, I want her to listen as her so-called "family" suffers," Lucifer commanded.

"Okay! I'll be with them in a minute!" and with that the screams started back up again.

"Relish in your courage while you can Ms. Tian," Lucifer drawled as turned around and left the room. "You will be broken by the time dinner is over."

* * *

"What do you think is up with all those other people who are here?" Brain asked as he laid down on the single most comfortable mattress he had ever experienced.

"I imagine they too are here to speak with the Immortal Emperor," Sebas replied as he examined the small apartment-like room he and Brain had been given to spend the night. "He does seem to be an extremely busy individual."

"It's strange, I always imagined him as a sort of lazy and greedy ruler who left everything up to his subordinates." Brain muttered, causing Sebas to furrow his eyebrows. "But now I'm starting to get the feeling that he's a more "hands on ruler" than any other leader I've ever met."

"Indeed," Sebas drawled as his facial features relaxed.

"By the gods," Brain yawned. "If I lay on this thing any longer I'm definitely gonna pass out. Wake me up when it's time for dinner, will ya gramps?"

"I'm not that old," Sebas muttered. "Very well, Brain."

"Thanks, old man," Brain managed to mumble before he started snoring. Upon ensuring he was truly asleep, Sebas quietly exited the room and went off in search of a certain human maid cough cough Tsuare.

* * *

"Jessamine, wake up. Wake up. Wake up!" Corvo shouted in annoyance as he shook the unconscious woman until she finally awoke.

"Corvo?" she mumbled drowsily. "Who put a chandelier on the floor?"

"That's the ceiling," Corvo said exasperatedly.

"Oh, right," Jessamine mumbled as she rubbed her eyes before looking around at the unfamiliar, albeit cushy, surroundings. "Where are we anyway?"

"Nazarick. The Royal Palace of the Immortal Emperor," Corvo replied bluntly. Jessamine's eyes widened as her memories of the events prior to her fainting flooded back to her.

"S-So that employer that you and N-Nigun mentioned," she stuttered. "Th-That was the Immortal Emperor?"

"Correct."

"H-He isn't going to eat me or anything is he?"

"Of course not," Corvo sighed as he sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "Look, do you trust me Jessamine?"

"Y-Yes," the now blushing female responded.

"Then know that for as long as you stand by me, neither Lord Dracul or I will allow any harm to come to you."

"O-Okay," Jessamine replied as she rested her head on his shoulder, prompting Corvo to stiffen slightly before relaxing into their current position. "By the way, are you even human?"

"Don't ruin the moment."

"Are you?"

"….No."

* * *

"Is this really necessary Lakyus?" Evileye deadpanned as she watched her leader crawl all over the room they had been given looking in every nook and cranny for any indication that Lucifer might be spying on them while Gargan, Tina, and Tia stood outside the room watching the hallway and blocking their teammates from view whenever a Death Squad (8 Death Knights and a Skull Knight) happened to pass by on patrol.

"Absolutely. That vampire is ridiculously intelligent and we have no idea what he hopes to gain by bringing us all here," Lakyus replied from under a bed. "We have to be especially vigilant now that all the most powerful members of the National Liberation Party are here. If something were to happen to us while we were here the rebellion would be crippled."

"And you think you're going to find spy magic casted by the most powerful sorcerer in history by looking under your bed?" Evileye asked sarcastically. "Even if he was spying on us, do you really think we would be able to do anything about it?"

"Fine, fair point," Lakyus groaned as pulled herself out from under the bed.

"Hey, I hear something," Gargan whispered hastily. Evileye poked her head out to hear someone down the hall singing something in an unfamiliar language. "Do you think it could be some sort of ritual?"

"Dunno. I'll take a look," Evileye announced as she slipped by the hulking warrior and trotted down the hallway. Stopping at a corner, she could hear make out the words that were being used, even if she had no fucking clue what they were.

"Die stumpfe Klinge gut und recht, Ich blute stark und mir ist schlecht; Muss ich auch mit der Ohnmacht kämpfen, Ich esse weiter unter Krämpfen! Ist doch so gut gewürzt und so schön flambiert," the voice continued to sing as it came closer and closer until a tall faceless creature wearing a yellow trench coat rounded the corner and bumped into her. "Scheisse!" Evileye could only stare at the bizarre being she had just encountered having never seen anything like it before in her life, or unlife, while said being, for some odd reason she couldn't quite figure out, was staring at her as if her presence here was utterly bewildering.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything here, but what the hell are you?" Evileye inquired bluntly.

 _I don't know why but there is something familiar about him._

"Guten abend fräulein!" he exclaimed with an over-the-top bow followed by exaggeratedly dramatic movements. "This one is known as Pandora's Actor! I serve the Unsterblicher Kaiser, the Immortal Emperor, as the head of his intelligence network!"

"That's not what I asked," Evileye scoffed. "I asked WHAT you are, not WHO you are."

"Gott verdammt," Pandora's Actor muttered before turning back to the petite vampire. "Apologies fräulein, but I must be off! Praise the Supreme One!"

"Wait! What was that weird language?" Evileye called out just as Pandora's Actor sped down the hallway without another word.

"Danke dem herrn, that's over with," he sighed once he put an adequate amount of distance between him and Evileye. "Unless I'm acting as Momon, I really don't know how to act in front of that kleiner vampir."

* * *

Lucifer entered his office closely followed by Albedo, both feeling refreshed after having a relaxing soak, and doing a few other things, in Nazarick's spa. Demiurge and Jigsaw were both already awaiting them within the room standing on either side of his desk. Oh yeah, there was also the corpse of a certain royal Valkyrie sprawled out on the floor. In life she was known as Hope Paradis Pious, Valkyrie Queen of the former Holy Kingdom of Roble.

"I'm glad to see you finally found her, Jigsaw," Lucifer said as he stepped over the corpse and walked around his desk.

"My apologies for the delay milord. She got mixed in with the human carcasses by mistake so there were an awful lot to sort through," Jigsaw responded with a bow.

"See to it that she is restrained before we begin," Lucifer commanded before taking a seat, followed by Albedo hopping into his lap, and turning his attention to Demiurge as Jigsaw motioned for two Death Knights to grab the deceased angelic being by the arms and hoist her up. "Demiurge, have we found any more information pertaining to the land overseas that the Holy Kingdom has been trading with?"

"An adequate amount my lord," Demiurge smirked. "We have found a number of maps, shipping manifestos, a few more documents, and some of their currency. I believe they call them "Septims." I'm uncertain why they don't simply call these coins gold, but it matters very little."

"So, we have an accurate location as to where this continent is?" Lucifer inquired.

"The location isn't exact, but I believe I can direct our scouts to this "Tamriel" with only a minor amount of difficulty," Demiurge reported proudly.

"I don't want us to waste too much manpower on this for the time being Demiurge. Send a few Skeleton Dragons and Stygi. You can send over a maximum of 50 Bone Vultures. Additionally, I want to send any low-level Wraiths that aren't currently assigned to anything to be sent into space."

"Space, my lor - dear?" Albedo grinned as she recalled that Lucifer had finally allowed himself to be referred to as such.

"I would like to start gathering information about our solar system sooner rather than later, especially other worlds with life on them. Should the Wraiths find anything they are to [Message] us any information they are able to retrieve."

"You do realize that it will take several years, decades, or even centuries for them to report back to us on any other planets in our solar system, correct?" Albedo inquired.

"Time is something I have in abundance," Lucifer smirked. "Besides, just think about it. Future conquests for our children." That got Albedo thinking, and as she thought, her face split into a creepy grin and she began giggling psychotically as the Albedoisms began once again.

 _I'm getting good at this whole husband thing! All I gotta do is say something somewhat loving to Albedo and she starts acting like a psycho bitch in heat! There's something wrong with me if I really think that's a good thing._

"I see. Very well my lord, I will endeavor to find worlds that our worthy of your heirs' attention," Demiurge declared with a bow and a grin, envisioning how he would assist his master's offspring by offering strategic advice and teaching them the art of war.

"Good. Furthermore, I would like you to have a few Elder Liches attempt to learn Wild Magic" Lucifer continued. "Perhaps Mortis or the other dragons such as Hejinmal will enlighten us to its nature and how it used."

 _And maybe I can learn it and start gaining abilities that weren't available in Yggdrasil!_

"Ah, I see," Demiurge drawled with his usual sinister grin. "Knowledge is power after all. I'll see to it my lord."

"Excellent. Now onto the former queen," Lucifer smirked as he summoned the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown to his hand and pointed it at the corpse. "[Create Fallen Angel]." The corpse began to pulsate with a dark purple aura. The withered wings began to regain their vitality as black feathers began to grow, her faded blonde hair turned paper white, her clothes turned black as night, and her once blue eyes became a light purple. Seconds after the transformation was complete, Jigsaw leaned in close to get a good look at the reborn being.

 _This is a wonderful opportunity to understand how the legions of undead and other creatures I've created think of me. Are they loyal to me simply because I'm their creator or is there more to it? To what extent are they loyal to me? Will I ever have to worry about them turning against me? If not, could I make enough powerful creatures capable of restraining the Guardians, or even Rubedo, should they ever turn against me?_

"Ah! Looks like the lass is coming to!" he said as he jumped to the side to stay out of his master's way as Lucifer stepped in front of the former Queen Hope.

"Wha…." the newly created Fallen Angel muttered as she lifted her head groggily. "Where am I? What's going on?"

"I promise to answer your questions only if you can answer mine," Lucifer interrupted, effectively shutting up the babbling woman. "Do you know who you are?"

"Of course, I'm-" she began before she started hyperventilating. She thought she knew. She knew so much, so why didn't she know her own damn name!? As she continued to freak the fuck out, Lucifer put a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of it.

"Calm yourself," he said soothingly, masking his annoyance. "I will explain your lack of memory soon. Now, do you know who I am?"

"You're-" she trailed off as she stared into Lucifer's eyes. She could feel him and hear him in her mind, as if he was gently grasping her mind and soul. She felt like her only desire was to earn his praise and do whatever he willed of her. She could sense the immense power he held unlike anything she had ever felt before and something about those eyes seemed to promise her everything she would ever desire and more. In that moment, she knew that he could only be one thing. "You're my god," she gasped as she attempted to prostrate herself before him only to be halted by the Death Knights that still maintained their grip on her.

"Release her," Lucifer commanded. "She is of no threat to us." The Death Knights obeyed and allowed the Fallen Angel to bow to him with her head so close to the floor she could lick it. "[Discern Enemy]," he whispered so quietly he was almost silent.

 _Level 85, not bad. She's stronger than Jigsaw, but still isn't a match for a Floor Guardian. Fallen Angel, Tainted Valkyrie, adept at wielding both holy and unholy magic, blablablablablablabla. Not bad. Not bad at all._

"M-My lord," the still bowing Fallen Angel stuttered. "May I r-raise my head?"

"Of course," Lucifer replied with a regal wave of his hand, prompting her to raise he head. "You say you remember nothing?"

"Nothing, Supreme One," she reiterated.

 _Hmm…. Gazef remembered who he was after I turned him into a vampire, why can't she remember? Maybe it's because I used the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown? Or maybe it has something to do with the extremity of the transformation? Gazef remained relatively unchanged, but Hope has changed drastically. Or perhaps maybe it has something to do with the fact I just caused an angel to "fall" in the biblical sense. This requires further experimentation. Either way, how could I NOT take advantage of this opportunity?_

"Your name is Servus Torquemada," Lucifer lied, drawing the attention of Demiurge who raise an eyebrow and Albedo who simply trusted whatever her beloved was doing. "I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, also known as the God of Life and Death as well as Father Blood. There is an obvious reason why you have no memory: You did not exist until a few minutes ago."

"I didn't exist?" Servus parroted, thoroughly confused.

"As your base instincts allowed you to work out on your own, I am a god. As a god, I have the power to create and you happen to be my latest creation," Lucifer bullshitted.

"If you are my god, then you must've made me with a purpose," Servus murmured as her eyes began to sparkle and a smile worked its way onto her features. "What is my purpose lord? What is the meaning of life?"

 _Oh, shit! Big questions! Think, think, think, ah ha!_

"Allow me to make this clear Servus, there is no such thing as omnipotence. Many gods lie and claim to have all the answers, but that is all they are: lies," Lucifer declared. "I have the answers to the questions you asked, but do not expect me to have an answer for every single question in existence."

"I see," she replied, still staring at Lucifer expectantly.

"You were created because while my religion is beginning to spread, there are still those who cling to the old ways and worship false gods," Lucifer drawled as he folded his arms behind the small of his back. "I intend to put together an inquisition to hunt down those who worship the false gods and "reeducate" them. I intend to put you in charge of this Imperial Inquisition as my Grand Inquisitor." Servus's eyes widened. Not only did her god have a plan for her, but he had something very specific in mind. With that position came a sense of trust and responsibility.

"I will not let you down, my lord," she declared as she lowered her head once again, allowing Lucifer to let an evil grin slip onto his face while she wasn't looking. The sound of someone abruptly knocking on the door caused Servus's to jerk her head up in surprise, causing Lucifer to force his features back into the cold smile and soulless eyes before turning his attention to the door.

"Enter," he commanded. With permission granted, the door opened revealing Sebas. "Sebas, it's good to have you back here in Nazarick."

"Thank you, my lord," Sebas said with a bow before entering the room. "I've come to give my report regarding the events in the Re-Estize Kingdom. Additionally, I was asked to inform Lady Albedo that her sisters Rubedo and Nigredo wish to see her." Albedo perked up immediately upon hearing this and looked over to Lucifer, her eyes wordlessly asking for permission to leave.

"Go ahead," Lucifer grinned, half amused by Albedo's antics half proud of himself for being able to understand what she wanted just by reading her body language. After all, other than Demiurge, Albedo was the most difficult of his subordinates to get a read on. She gave him a heartwarming smile and flew out the door.

 _That's weird, for a moment there I thought I had a heart. Moving on._

"Servus, leave us. A Dark Paladin will lead you to Arche's church where she can teach you our ways. If she's not there, then she's probably still in lock up and you should arrange for her release. The Death Knight will give you the authority you need," Lucifer stated, prompting the Fallen Angel to leave the room. "Now Sebas, I have read your reports about the rebellion, but it is this incident involving Renner that has me concerned. What do we know?"

"According to Princess Renner, a man in silver armor attacked her and Sir Climb while we were taking E-Pespel and took Razor Edge," Sebas reported before furrowing his eyebrows. "She would not let Climb speak when he tried to tell me what happened."

"She's playing this one close to the chest," Demiurge mused. "She doesn't want anyone to know what she's up to. Still, she must've known that we would learn of her involvement. It appears our precious little puppet has begun overestimating her worth. What do you think my lord?"

 _This silver armored motherfucker again! He's been moving unnoticed in the background this whole damn time doing who knows what!? It's just like what I did before I established the Eternal Empire. Could he be a player? It doesn't matter who or what he is, if that prophecy bullshit is even the SLIGHTEST bit accurate, he's going to come for me and now he has a sword that let a NOOB like Lurk take on what was essentially a level 90 boss. The fact that he took such a direct approach in this incident suggests that he must be on the verge of completing his preparations. If this continues to escalate, then I will bring the full might of Nazarick down upon him._

"We will deal with Renner at a later date," Lucifer sneered. "For now, our focus should be this silver armored man. I believe that I am his primary target." Demiurge, Jigsaw, and Sebas were shocked and angered at the prospect of some lower lifeform so much as DARING to strike at their master.

"We will not allow this," Sebas growled.

"For once I found myself in agreement with you, Sebas. This man needs to die," Demiurge snarled.

"Silver-pricked gobshite! I'll tear out his eyes and swap them with his testicles!" Jigsaw exclaimed.

"Enough," Lucifer snapped as he began to walk around to the other side of his desk again. "We won't get anything done threatening someone who isn't even here. It is unlikely that he will attack us here in Nazarick , so we will prepare for his inevitable attack and end him when he does. I want the three of you to head to dinner, I will be with you shortly after I gather a few things."

* * *

"We all know why we've gathered, so let's get on with it," the Cardinal of Darkness began, completely skipping over the usual formalities. "Our chance to eliminate the Antichrist is almost upon us. Our benefactor, Ainz, has gone to retrieve the Valkyrie Knight, Angela Pious, from the Holy Kingdom for our attack."

"We've taken great care in our preparations," the Cardinal of Wind spoke up. "Beyond those of us in this room, no one else in the Theocracy knows what exactly we're planning."

"As it should be," the Cardinal of Light added. "The duty of our subordinates is to do as they're told without question." The Cardinal of Darkness furrowed his eyebrows at this statement but held his tongue, deciding that it was best to wrap this meeting up as quickly as possible.

"I've already dispatched a messenger to relay our orders to Zesshi," the Cardinal of Water stated. "He took a sleipnir so he should manage to rendezvous with Zesshi before the end of the day."

"Good. Now I believe it's time I laid out our plan of attack. This discussion should only be heard by the Cardinals and myself," Maximus declared before turning to the guards. "Guards, leave us." The guards glanced at each other with concern. Not once in the history of the Theocracy had the guards who had been charged with protecting the inner sanctum ever been ordered to leave their posts. After all, their job wasn't just to guard the inner sanctum but also the Theocracy's leadership. In the end however, they did as they were told, albeit reluctantly.

"Now, what exactly is it must we be so secretive about?" the Cardinal of Fire asked as she raised an eyebrow. Maximus's response was to snap his fingers, signaling as 3 men in white robes to step out of the shadows each carrying a small, ornately decorated chest. The Cardinals cringed when they got a better look at the men. They had blank, lifeless eyes and the symbol of the Six Gods branded onto their foreheads. They were completely silent as they gently laid the chests on the desk before the Archbishop.

"Thank you, gentlemen. You may go now," Maximus ordered as, prompting the white robed figures to bow before leaving the room as silently as they had appeared.

"Your Holiness, who were they?" the Cardinal of Earth asked warily.

"Former heretics," Maximus replied offhandedly as he started fiddling with the locks on the chests. "In light of recent events with the Rat Plague, Jaldabaoth's massacres, and the rise of the Antichrist, many have begun to lose faith in the Six. Because of that, some of our people have had to go through "reeducation" to solidify their faith. They no longer have names or identities and they have given everything up for the Six Great Gods. The ones you just saw are known as Number 5, Number 12, and Number 3."

"Do we really have the resources to spare to use on something like that?" the Cardinal of Darkness asked as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"With the decline of the Rat Plague here in Humanika, yes," Maximus shrugged as he opened the 2nd chest.

"But what about the other cities and villages of the Theocracy?" the Cardinal of Wind inquired. "They still suffer from the plague. Shouldn't we dispatch relief units in order to reassert our stability?"

"They will have to take care of themselves for the time being," Maximus replied with an uncaring expression on his face as he opened the 3rd chest. "We must focus our efforts on the Immortal Emperor right now. We may not ever have another chance such as this to destroy him. Now if you're done worrying about the common rabble, we may now get on with explaining the plan." The Cardinals' reactions varied from gasps to wide eyed staring when they saw the objects Maximus removed from the chests.

"They're beautiful," the Cardinal of Fire breathed as she gazed upon the Holy Relics.

"So, we're really going to use them," the Cardinal of Darkness muttered.

"As I've said before, it is my belief that the Six Great Gods, in their wisdom and benevolence, left these artifacts behind so that we may overcome the Antichrist and his armies of darkness," Maximus said solemnly. "If there was ever a time to use them, it is now."

"What is our plan?" the Cardinal of Light asked with a mad glint in his eyes.

"The Black Scripture will go to the ambush point and rendezvous with Ainz and his allies. When the battle starts, Kaire will attempt to use Downfall of Castle and Country against Dracul or one of his followers. I have no doubt that Dracul will be among allies when we attack, so it will be our job to draw the attention of the Antichrist's subordinates while Ainz engages that monster. As all of you know, the servants of the Eternal Empire are quite powerful and despite Ainz's abilities, he may still be unable to defeat the Antichrist," Maximus paused as he sent a quick glance to each of the Cardinals. "Which why we will be keeping Wrath of God and Ahura Mazda here in Humanika in case we need to enact Plan B."

"What exactly is Plan B?" the Cardinal of Water inquired shakily.

"We will use the Wrath of God to summon an army of angels to hold off the legions of the Eternal Empire while I activate Ahura Mazda," Maximus replied. The Cardinals stared at him in shock for a few moments before the Cardinal of Earth spoke up.

"Your Holiness, please don't joke about such things!" he exclaimed. "Ahura Mazda is intended as failsafe! A last resort should the worst ever happen and the Theocracy was destroyed!"

"And what do you think will happen if Dracul defeats Sir Ainz?" Maximus growled. "He will no doubt know of our involvement in the attack and will have a perfect reason to declare war on our country. He will attempt to destroy us and Ahura Mazda will be the only thing that purge his evil existence."

"You realize what you are saying, right?" the Cardinal of Darkness growled. "The damage that item will inflict upon the world will take centuries to recover from. True, it may destroy Lucifer, but it is likely that it will also wipe out countless human lives. Ahura Mazda has never been used for that very reason: we don't know what is seen as good or evil by that thing. We may very well be wiping out the entire human race by using it!"

"An empty world is better than one ruled by that abomination!" Maximus roared. "I will not allow it! If push comes to shove, I will use Ahura Mazda myself and destroy the Antichrist!"

"And what of the countless innocents who will be wiped out?" the Cardinal of Darkness pressed with narrowed eyes.

"A clean slate. The world will start over and humanity will rise from the ashes of the old world," Maximus responded coldly. "It is our destiny surpass all other creatures after all." The Cardinal of Darkness sighed as he slumped back into his seat.

"But your holiness-"

"Enough Maximilian!" Maximus bellowed. "This discussion is over! Questioning me is tantamount to heresy! Is that what you want? To be branded a heretic?"

"Very well, we will do as you say you Holiness," the Cardinal of Darkness said begrudgingly as he continued to glare at Maximus. The Cardinal of Light smirked at the Cardinal of Darkness while the other Cardinals attempted to mask their unease.

"Good answer," Maximus huffed before turning his attention to the rest of the Cardinals. "Now I need at least two Cardinals to accompany the Black Scripture on this assignment. Are there any volunteers?"

"As I have prior military experience, I think it would be prudent if I were to-" the Cardinal of Darkness began.

"No! You will remain here in Humanika where I can keep an eye on you," Maximus interrupted. "Your dealings with the Antichrist and questioning of my judgement has brought your loyalty under scrutiny."

"Very well," the Cardinal of Darkness grumbled.

"I shall go and witness the end of the Antichrist!" the Cardinal of Light proclaimed.

"I will see to it that our forces are prepared appropriately and will help strategize with our allies," the Cardinal of Earth said as he gave the Cardinal of Darkness a look that said "Don't worry, I'll keep him from doing anything crazy," to which he received a look of gratitude.

"Very well," Maximus murmured. "The remainder of the Cardinals will assist me in strengthening Humanika's defenses. Although I don't expect them to keep Lucifer out, they may at least delay him should Ainz fail."

* * *

After taking some time to rest in the accommodations that they had been provided with by the maids, the guests of the Immortal Emperor were all gathered around a large table in Nazarick's grand dining room after about an hour of relaxing, except for Neia and Samuel. Neia had joined Servus to learn of Father Blood's teachings and Samuel was being escorted to the Deadhouse where he was to draw up blueprints of the new Imperial Navy for Jigsaw's approval. Gathered around the seat reserved for the Immortal Emperor were Demiurge, Cocytus, Shalltear, and Jigsaw. The maids had laid out a banquet fit for a king but had forbidden the guests from actually eating anything as they claimed it would be rude to begin without their host. They were still allowed to drink though. It would be just rude otherwise. After passing the time chatting with one another for about 30 minutes, their host finally entered the room and took a seat.

"Good evening everyone, it's good to see so many familiar faces gathered in one place," Lucifer began as he took sip his Goblet of the Vampire King. "Please don't wait on my behalf. Go ahead and enjoy your meal." As the guests began to eat and resume chatting with each other, except for Nemu who practically slammed her face into her food, Lucifer stared vacantly in front of him, occasionally taking small sips of blood from his goblet. To anyone else, he looked like was zoning out. To the denizens of Nazarick who had become familiar with his behavior, they knew he was thinking of something they probably couldn't even fathom in that ingenious mind of his.

 _So, what are vampire-demon babies supposed to look like anyway? Will they have devil horns and bat wings? What if I had ended up with a daughter? That would be a nightmare, Cocytus and Demiurge would obsess over her and her succubus nature would make my task of keeping boys away from her nearly impossible. Bah! Stop thinking about these pointless things! The world isn't going to conquer itself!_

Like I said, probably.

"Lupusregina," he called, prompting a certain werewolf maid to walk swiftly over to him.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Would you go retrieve Momon? I think it would be best if he were here for this meeting," Lucifer requested/commanded, causing several heads to perk up at the mentioning of Momon's name.

"As you wish!" Lupusregina cheered as she trotted off. With her gone, Lucifer finally turned his attention to his guests and set his goblet down.

"I believe it's about time we got started," Lucifer declared. "While I see many familiar faces here, I am sure that many of you are unfamiliar with each other. Would you kindly introduce yourselves?"

"Me! Me!" Nemu exclaimed. "My name Is Nemu and Lucy-fer is my bestest friend in the whooole world!" Several of the guests became tense, concerned what the Immortal Emperor's reaction would be to this little girl, but relaxed when he let out a good-natured chuckle.

 _Annoying brat, you're only here because your sister brought you. Now stop interrupting ya little shit!_

"Nemu, be polite!" Enri whispered harshly before giving the rest of the table an awkward smile. "Hi, I'm Enri Bareare. Nemu is my little sister and Nfirea is my husband. I'm not entirely sure why I'm even here to be perfectly honest, I kinda feel like I'm intruding."

"Not at all, Enri," Lucifer interrupted. "I have a very specific reason for brining you here regarding the future of Carne Village."

"I am Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, leader of the adamantite adventurer team, Blue Rose," Lakyus (no shit Sherlock) announced as she stood up from her seat and gestured to her teamates. "These are my companions: Gargan, Tina, Tia, and Evileye."

"I must confess, I was surprised to see your team here," Lucifer said. "Why have you come?"

"My apologies Lord Dracul, I invited them as my guests," Ainzach cut in. "I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds or offended you by bringing them here."

"It's quite alright Ainzach, but I would appreciate it if you would inform me if you would inform me that you are brining guests the next time we meet like this," Lucifer replied with a good-natured chuckle, masking his slight annoyance.

"My name is Gondo Firebeard, director of the Dwarven Foundry in Carne Village," Gondo spoke up, standing on his chair so that those who were present could seem him more clearly. "Allow me to say that I, as well as the rest of the Dwarf Kingdom, are proud to be able to count ourselves among the Eternal Empire's allies and look forward to our continued cooperation, your majesty. Thank you for inviting to your home."

"It's a pleasure to have you here, my friend," Lucifer replied pleasantly, causing Gondo to swell with a strange mix of pride and gratitude. "I look forward to seeing the progress you make at the foundry."

"I won't let you down boss – I mean – your majesty!" Gondo exclaimed with a fist clenched over his heart and a determined grin plastered on his face. Lakyus's eyes narrowed slightly at the dwarf. She had heard rumors of the Eternal Empire's alliance with the Dwarf Kingdom, but that was just it: rumors. Why would the Eternal Empire, who crushed all who dared to raise a fist against it, ally with the greatly weakened dwarves rather than outright conquering them? There was probably a reason, but Lakyus, as well as most other people for that matter, was not privy to the specifics of their arrangements. Her train of thought was interrupted as a lizardman cleared his throat.

"My name is Zaryusu Shasha. I am here as a representative on behalf of my wif- I mean - Senator Crusch Lulu of the Great Lake villages, although they are more like human towns than villages now. I have been told to deliver a report pertaining to the advancement of our people."

"Has the transition from living in huts gone well?" Lucifer asked.

"There were a few elders who preferred living in huts, but the geezers have found living in the new homes you had your undead workers build for us more comfortable and offers more protection from the weather. Additionally, my Fish Hatcheries have been implemented and have been a great success, thank you again for listening to me when I presented the idea."

"Of course," Lucifer replied with a regal wave of his hand. "Now that your people have adapted to this new lifestyle, I'm planning to have my workers begin building roads to connect with the road to E-Rantel and begin sending refugees from the Holy Kingdom your way."

"Are you sure that is wise, your majesty?" Zaryusu asked with a concerned expression twisted onto his face as he thought of his son having to grow up around a bunch of people he knew nothing about.

"This is an important step in uplifting you as a species as well as teaching the humans from the Holy Kingdom some common sense," Lucifer explained. "Your people have always been wary of outside influence, hence is why your village elders dismissed your opinions as a Traveler. The humans of the Holy Kingdom have always seen demihumans as monsters, but after Jalbadaoth's invasion and subsequent defeat, they have seen the true face of evil and many of them have already come to dismiss such primitive ideas."

 _Honestly, having the demons turn on the demihumans while continuing to slaughter the humans was a stroke of genius. Not only did it provide us with more corpses for our army, but it forced the survivors to cooperate with each other regardless of their species in order to stay alive, forming bonds between species and weakening the influence of prejudice on both sides. Stupid mortals, when will they learn that they're all equally inferior?_

"By having your people join with theirs, we will teach the lizardmen to interact with those who are not of their species while teaching the humans to cooperate with nonhumans in order to make a living," Lucifer continued. "I've always found that the best way to teach mortals to get along is to make it mutually beneficial for both parties." Demiurge smirked at being reminded, once again, of just how intelligent their master was and how far he had to go to truly prove himself worthy. Shalltear smiled as the Father of all Vampires once again proved his superiority. Cocytus didn't have physical reaction but felt nothing but pride in the fact that he was chosen by this master of masters to command his forces. Jigsaw wasn't really paying attention and had adjusted his mask just enough so that he could pick his nose while still covering his face.

"I see," Zaryusu mused, still uncomfortable with idea, but confident that the Immortal Emperor knew what he was doing. "I will inform the Senator of your decision, your majesty."

"Excellent, now I don't think we've finished introduction yet," Lucifer said as turned back the other guests at the table. "I apologize for getting carried away. Please continue."

"I am Corvo Attano. I am not permitted to disclose why I am here or my position at this time," Corvo introduced himself gruffly, earning an awkward laugh from Jessamine.

"Weren't you with the Slane Theocracy's Black Scripture?" Gargan spoke up, causing pretty much everyone who wasn't human as well as several humans to glare at Corvo. Corvo's response was to silently glare back at everyone, refusing to say another word.

"I'm Jessamine Kaldwin," Jessamine cut in before things could escalate. "I'm an elven rights activist in the Slane Theocracy and Corvo's lover!" Several people sweatdropped at that announcement while Lucifer turned to his personal assassin and gave him a look that said: 'We'll discuss this later.'

"Damn that takes some guts," Brain chuckled. "Oh, right. I'm Brain Unglaus, one of the leaders of the National Liberation Party in Re-Estize."

"And I am Sebas Tian, founder of said rebellion," Sebas declared with a polite bow.

"I assume you two have left your comrades and come to me for a reason?" Lucifer drawled.

"Yes, your majesty," Sebas replied. "The rebellion has reached a critical stage that will determine the fate of the Re-Estize Kingdom. We are preparing to take the capital and request that you spare some of your forces to aid us in the final push."

"Very well, I did promise to support your cause after all," Lucifer shrugged as if it was a trifling concern, when on the inside he was giddy with anticipation.

 _Finally! After all this time Re-Estize will be mine! But I won't be able to use Renner as a puppet anymore. I'll have to kill her, but Laykus will use her magic to revive her or she may try to force me to do it and threaten my reputation. She needs to be "removed."_

"Thank you, your majesty," Sebas bowed before sitting back down.

"Nfirea, I believe you're here to report on the progress you've made?" Lucifer stated more than asked as he turned towards the young man.

"Yes, my lord. I…." Nfirea stopped as the doors to the room opened and several individuals of note entered the room. The first was Lupusregina closely followed by the twins Aura and Mare. Behind them were three impressive figures. The first was the former Dark Elf King, now a member of the Imperial Senate, Vega Connard, who had traded in his old warrior's armor for regal black and white robes he had been given upon his appointment to senator. He still kept the World Savior on his back at all times and his war axes at his sides, not to mention he had armor hidden under the robes. Old habits die hard. He kept his eyes trained on Aura and Mare, vigilant to an almost obsessive degree in case someone or something tried to threaten them. The next one to enter was the famous war troll Go Gin, the former champion of the Imperial Arena. As usual, the hulking figure was decked out in battle armor and upon seeing his master, he gave Lucifer a nod of respect, not the kind of respect one shows their commander but the kind one gives to a fellow warrior. Finally, there was the instantly recognizable form of the Dark Knight Momon, his helmet tucked under his arm revealing his face once again. It also showed how he his gaze had clearly lingered on Evileye as he surveyed the occupants of the room, eliciting a blush from the petite vampire.

"Welcome gentlemen," Lucifer greeted before addressing those already gathered around the table. "Allow me to introduce Go Gin, Senator Vega Connard, and Momon. Loyal servants of the Eternal Empire as well as my trusted advisors."

"You honor us, my lord," Vega said with a bow which Momon mimicked while Go Gin simply nodded again.

"Please, have a seat," Lucifer requested/ordered as he gestured towards a few empty chairs at the table. After they took their seats, Lucifer turned his attention back to Nfirea.

"I'll cut to the chase. Nfirea, how has your experimentation with potions progressed?" Lucifer inquired, deciding to completely skip over the few who hadn't introduced themselves.

"It's been going great my lord!" Nfirea exclaimed excitedly. "A few months ago, I managed to create a never-before-seen potion (the purple potion he makes in canon) using the methods you described to me in order to create the, um, you-know-what potions (Blood of God)!"

"Well done, Nfirea," Lucifer praised, causing Nfirea to become embarrassed but most people didn't notice because of his hair. "I would like you to work with Gondo in order to prepare for mass production of your potion. How long do you think it would take to begin public distribution Gondo?"

"Between gathering materials, production, and finishing up a few works-in-progress back at the Foundry, I'd wager about 4 weeks your majesty," Gondo replied, proud to be of service.

"Good. Return to me once you have completed this task," Lucifer ordered. "I will have a new project for you to work on."

"As you command, my lord."

"Thank you again Nfirea, and congratulations on your marriage, which reminds me: Enri, I have a proposal regarding the future of Carne," Lucifer stated.

"My lord?" Enri spoke up.

"As you are aware, I have been building a massive city around Nazarick to serve as the capital of the Eternal Empire. I intend to make it the single largest city in the world," Lucifer explained. "I intend to expand it so that Carne Village will become a part of the capital but this might involve tearing down the homes you currently occupy and replacing them with the standard marble homes we've been constructing. You and the other villagers would be provided with temporary housing during the transition, of course. Is this arrangement acceptable to you?"

"Um, of course," Enri replied nervously. As the village chief, she had gotten used to making decisions like this, but she had essentially just given someone permission to tear down the village. Still, this was coming from the Immortal Emperor himself, their savior. She trusted him, plain and simple.

"Excellent, thank you for your cooperation, Enri. Now, onto more pressing matters-," Lucifer began as he leaned forward and fold his hands in front of him.

"Uh, um, e-excuse me?" Myriah spoke up, her elven ears twitching nervously as several of Lucifer's servants sent glares at the lower life form that DARED to interrupt their master. Vega, on the other hand, simply stared at her curiously.

"You are the elf I was told about," Lucifer mused, prompting the NPCs to stop glaring and turn their attention back to him. "You are from the Elf Country, correct?"

"Y-yes," she stammered as she felt those soulless red eyes look through her skin and into her very being.

"I see. I suppose this makes you your people's unofficial ambassador as this is a first contact scenario," Lucifer drawled, his usual cold smile widening ever so slightly upon seeing the elf begin to sputter nervously. "As you are clearly not an appointed representative, I will keep these proceedings relatively informal so that we don't cause you any discomfort. I would be a poor host to expect you to understand the political and diplomatic intricacies of a position I have selfishly forced upon you."

 _That and I just want to get this over with._

"Um…. okay," Myriah responded with a confused look on her face, not entirely certain of what the vampire had just said to her. "Wh-what do you need from me?"

"I would like you to tell me about your country, particularly about the current state of affairs regarding your country's government, military, society, and leadership," Lucifer stated before gesturing to the full grown Dark Elf seated at the table. "Senator Vega here tells me that your country is ruled by an apathetic king who doesn't lift a finger in the defense of his people and regularly abuses the power he holds over his subjects." Myriah turned hesitantly towards Vega and became stiff upon gazing into his heterochromatic eyes.

"You have his eyes," she gasped. "You're one of his children."

"That monster doesn't deserve to be ANYONE'S father!" Vega spat, prompting Myriah to cower and raise her arms as if she was expecting someone to hit her. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. Judging from your reaction, can I assume you've met the bastard?"

"I s-served in the palace as one of King Connard's maids," she stuttered as she slowly lowered her arms causing Vega to wince, fully aware of what it meant to be a maid in the Elf King's palace (abuse, rape, beatings, and more rape). The conditions there certainly explained Myriah's timid nature. Lucifer, on the other hand, was masking his glee with a stern expression.

 _Not only have I gotten my hands on one of their people, but an inside source who was stationed at the_ _palace itself!_

"What can you tell me about the palace?" Lucifer inquired. "Does it have any structural weaknesses or back entrances? What is the interior like?"

"W-well, the palace isn't an actual building," Myriah explained. "There's a large cliff overlooking the capitol city of Crescent Lake with a waterfall cascading down it. The king's palace was carved out within the cliff itself behind the waterfall. The city itself is made up of massive houses built into the giant trees that grow out of the lake itself."

"I have heard plenty of things regarding your king from Vega, but I wish to hear from you, a citizen who has lived under his rule," Lucifer said. "What do the people of the Elf Country think of their home and its ruler?"

"Nobody is happy. Our options are limited to abandon our homes and seek a new life in the neighboring countries, which are usually not kind to our people, or attempt to defend ourselves while not gaining the king's attention," Myriah replied bitterly.

"What of your military?"

"We have no military. The villages are told to fend for themselves in order to prove that they are worthy of being under the king's rule."

 _What the fuck? What kind of setup is that?_

"Your economy?"

"The king takes everything of any real value claiming that if we were strong enough to deserve it then we would be able to stop him from taking it in the first place. Most survive by gathering our own food and trading what we need." Lucifer sighed and rubbed his eyes as he mulled over Myriah's description the pitiful state of the Elf Country.

 _So, he's less of a king and more of a thug who uses his strength to just do whatever he wants. Did he used to care and just decided to stop giving a fuck or did he never care and just saw ruling the elves as a chance to just take whatever he wants and live out some juvenile sex fantasy?_

"Tell me Myriah, how would people react if their king was to be removed and a new government that was actually functional was implemented?" Lucifer asked as his usual smirk returned prompting Lakyus to narrow her eyes at him.

"Wh-what!?" Myriah squeaked.

"I'll simplify matters for you: Do you want that sad excuse for a king gone or should I leave your people to your suffering?" Lucifer said as he fixed his gaze on the elf girl. "I cannot help you if you do not ask. Decide. Now." The panicked elf looked around at the others as if looking for an answer before opting to frantically nod her head.

"Y-yes! P-please help us!" she stammered, understandably worried given the fact that she had just made a massive decision of behalf of her people.

"Excellent," Lucifer grinned before turning to Vega. "Well Vega, it appears that the time has come for us to confront your father. Are you prepared to uphold your end of our agreement?"

"Of course," Vega growled as a feral grin worked its way onto his face, or at least the part of his face that hadn't been mutilated. "I've been looking forward to this for decades."

"Allow my forces to escort you to the Great Forest of Evasha and I will meet you there."

"Apologies my lord, but I'm afraid I will have to return to Roble before joining you," Vega interjected. "The Theocracy is assaulting Evasha at this very moment and thousands will jump at the chance to push them out of elven territory. All I would have to say is that we are returning to the homelands and I will have assembled an army."

"Very well. I will arrange for Omega to create a [Gate] to make your transporting your forces easier," Lucifer nodded. "I will give you two days to assemble your forces. Keep in mind that if the Theocracy is already there then we are going to have to rush to reach the capital before they do. Once we regroup, Myriah will serve as our guide, since there is no reliable map of the area, and lead us to Crescent Lake where we will face the Elf King. Afterwards, you will assume control of the Elf Country during its transition in joining the Eternal Empire. My subordinates Aura and Mare will join you in ruling the elves to ensure my will is enforced."

"As you wish, my lord," Vega replied with a nod. "I'm sure Angela will be able to manage things in Roble while I am away."

"Good. Ainzach, I believe the adventurers are itching for action. Seeing as there are no maps of the Elf County, I believe this will be a perfect opportunity for our new adventurers to gain some experience. Care to join us?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Ainzach grinned. "We'll be ready by noon tomorrow. It's time we find out just how much all those hours spent sparring with Death Knights has improved us."

"Hold on just a second!" Lakyus interrupted, turning every head in the room towards her. "Are we seriously okay with him doing this again?"

"What do you mean?" Momon spoke up.

"Momon, you see what's going on here, right?" Lakyus continued. "He's expending his territory….. again! You may hide behind excuses and just causes, but in the end, you just want to conquer! When is it going end? How much territory do you need to take to be satisfied? Will you EVER be satisfied?"

 _Probably not, no. She's got guts accusing me like this here, even more evidence that I'm going to have to get rid of her._

"Let me ask you this, Lakyus," Lucifer asked, seemingly annoyed as if there answers to her questions were of the "duh" variety. "Should I have allowed Jalbadaoth to do as he wished in the Holy Kingdom?"

"Of course not! I'm only saying…."

"Should I allow the suffering in the Elf Country to continue?"

"No, but…"

"If not me, then who?" Lucifer demanded. "The Kingdom? Your too busy fighting yourselves. The Theocracy? They're part of the problem. The City State Alliance? They're occupied by the Troll Kingdom. The Agrand Council Alliance? They could never get so close to the Slane Theocracy without triggering a war. As it stands, I am their only option."

"But you're going to rule over them once you've deposed the king, right?"

"Of course. I'm not a charity and someone will have to maintain order during such a transition," Lucifer drawled in an annoyed manner. "Do you think I will abuse my authority or take control through contemptable means?"

"You don't exactly come across as benevolent," Tina said in her usual deadpan expression.

"Then how about this," Lucifer drawled, seemingly sick of this conversation. "If you are so concerned about my actions, why doesn't Blue Rose accompany us in our liberation of the elven people?"

"Are you serious?" Gargan growled. "You expect us to do your dirty work?"

"Of course not. I will have you grouped with the adventurers who I have no doubt you'll have more common ground with than my undead legions," Lucifer smirked before turning to the Dark Knight. "Momon, I want your team, Ainzach, and Blue Rose in charge of the adventurers. In addition to exploring the forest, I also want you to maintain order and provide aid to any civilians who may get caught up in the fighting."

"As you decree, my lord," Momon responded with a bow before turning to the members of Blue Rose. "I look forward to working with you again."

"M-me too," Evileye mumbled shyly while her teammates just looked at her with worried expressions.

"Good," Lucifer drawled, fighting to suppress an evil grin.

* * *

Zesshi sighed as she continued to sharpen her scythe, still listening to the sounds of rain that continued to fall outside. She hadn't been bothered by it, but the little bitch soldiers that were supposed to be accompanying her claimed that the weather conditions would make it easier for the enemy to ambush them if they continued to move through the forest. And so here she was, holed up in what in one of the tents the soldiers had set up, while the troops either got some shut eye in their tents or stood guard outside keeping an eye out for trouble.

"Lady Zesshi," a voice from outside the tent called. "A messenger from Humanika has arrived. He would like to speak with you."

"Enter," Zesshi grunted, prompting a drenched soldier to step into her tent. "Well? What so you want?"

"Milady, I've brought orders from the Cardinals and the Archbishop himself," the messenger informed her. "They claim that the Immortal Emperor will be making a move on the elven capital soon. You and your men are to be on standby until after Dracul has defeated the Elf King so that we may strike at him when he is at his weakest."

"Are you telling me, that after all this time, those idiots are going to keep me from my revenge just because they're too cowardly to let me face that vampire in a straight up fight?" Zesshi inquired in a dangerously low voice.

"Lady Zesshi please, we must follow orders," the messenger sighed. "The coalition that will be gathering here will be our best chance to defeat the Antichrist and after he is weakened from the fight t will be the perfect time to strike. This operation requires perfect execution and for everyone to do their part. I myself had to race here on a sleipnir to ensure I informed you in time."

"You arrived by sleipnir?" Zesshi asked with a strange amount of curiosity.

"Yes, it was the only way to ensure I reached you in time. Good thing this weather slowed you down, who knows how long it would've taken otherwi-" the man was cut off by a single punch to the face, instantly knocking him unconscious. With the messenger down, Zesshi a hooded cloak on to protect herself from the rain and peaked out of her tent to see the sleipnir tied to a tree on the other side of the camp.

 _Perfect. This might just be exactly what I need to reach Connard before Dracul arrives!_

And with that thought, Zesshi quietly slipped out of her tent and made her made her way over to the beast, managing to remain unseen by sticking to the trees and sneaking behind other tents. After a few minutes of half-hearted stealth, Zesshi made it to the creature and deciding that she had run out of fucks to give, she simply sliced the rope that kept the sleipnir tethered, jumped on its back, and rode the fuck out of there as quickly as she could.

"Lady Zesshi, what are you doing!?" one of the soldiers on lookout cried as she raced past him. "Don't follow me and stay out of my way!" Zesshi shouted as she galloped off deeper into the forest in the direction of Crescent Lake.

 _No one's taking that bastard out but me! Augustus Connard, Lucifer Dracul, both at the same time, I don't care! I'll take them both down! There's nobody left to slow me down, no one left to stop me from taking my revenge!_

* * *

Lucifer and Demiurge smirked down at Tian, whose body was shaking from fear, but her eyes still retained the slightest glimmer of defiance despite the sounds of screams that were emanating from the black capsule. She wanted to lash out at the incarnations of evil that stood before her. But the Dark Paladin that stood behind would no doubt strike her down before she got within a foot of either of them.

"Now, Ms. Tian, now that you've had some time to think, would you kindly inform me how you and your little assassin friends have been getting in and out of Gellara," Lucifer inquired. "There is no point in resisting. I will get what I want one way or another."

"W-we…" Tian stammered hesitantly, her resolve continuing to crumble as more and more tortured screams filled the air.

"Don't tell him mistress! Don't tell-," whoever had managed to shout that in spite of their pain fell back into fitful screams before he could finish that statement.

"R-right! I will not betray the trust of my subordinates!" Tian declared, glaring at the Immortal Emperor. Lucifer expression changed from gloating smirk to an annoyed expression.

"Filthy worm," Demiurge growled as his claws lengthened.

 **"** **Enough. You have tested for tested my patience for the last time,"** Lucifer growled in his true voice as he activated [Demon Eyes of Domination], a more powerful version of [Demon Eyes of Attraction], causing his eyes, as well as Tian's own eyes, to glow a bright red. **"You will answer my questions, mortal."**

"Yes, your majesty," Tian responded in a monotone voice.

 **"** **How does Ijaniya manage to sneak in and out of Gellara undetected?"**

"There are hidden passageways under the city that were built during the rampage of the Evil Deities. The passages have long since been forgotten and sprawl throughout a little less than half of the entirety of the City State Alliance."

 **"** **How large are these tunnels and where do they enter into Gellara?"**

"They were built in case the evacuation of the city became necessary so one could theoretically move a small army through them given you don't use any of the collapsed tunnels. There are several points where the tunnels connect inside Gellara, mostly in the sewers, a few in temples dedicated to the Six Great Gods, and one under the statue of the Dark Knight of the Thirteen Heroes, Isake Narbor, in the center of the city."

 _Impressive and exactly what I was hoping for._

 **"** **What did the Izaniya, the member of the Thirteen Heroes that your group is named after, leave behind? Weapons? Items? Descendants? Tell me everything."**

"She left us with a training manual for assassins titled The Way of the Shadow that was given to her by her mentor, who she referred to as Master Lurk, that apparently came from a faraway land known as Yggdrasil. Additionally, my sisters and I are direct descendants from her bloodline."

 _So that's why I've only ever seen the twins use abilities from Yggdrasil instead of this world's martial arts. They learned from one of Yggdrasil's tomes!_

"[Releasing control]," Lucifer drawled, ending the spell as his eyes stopped glowing and Tian's eyes returned to normal. "Thank you for your cooperation Ms. Tian."

"Wha-what just happened?" Tian mumbled in a daze before glaring daggers at Lucifer, who remained unaffected by her while Demiurge let out an evil chuckle. "You bastard! What did you do to me!? Answer me!"

"Lock her away. She may still be of use to us a hostage if here sisters try anything," Lucifer commanded, indifferent to the human's shouting. "Once you are done, have the Nazarick Old Guarders execute the rest of the assassins we captured. They are of more use to us dead than alive."

"Yes, my lord!" the Dark Paladin boomed as he grabbed the enraged woman and dragged her off to the Frozen Prison of the 5th Floor.

"It seems that we have everything we need to finish our business with the City State Alliance," Demiurge mused.

"Indeed. Demiurge, inform Gral of our plans and take Go Gin with you. We will take over the Troll Kingdom and the City State Alliance in a single stroke," Lucifer commanded as he exited the room. "Inform me when the trolls begin to move, I'm going to go have a chat with Corvo and his new human pet."

* * *

The former capital of the Holy Kingdom was barely recognizable. Although reconstruction efforts were underway, it would take years to undo the damage that had been done during the final battle against the Demon King Jalbadaoth. But aside from the destruction that had been wrought, the blood red banners of the Eternal Empire were almost everywhere to be seen now. On building, on posts, on street corners, military checkpoints, and, of course, the Zuranon cultists who paraded through the streets waving those accursed flags around as if they were the heralds of a new age. Death Knights patrolled every street, putting down trouble before it ever really started and making it impossible for people to subvert the Immortal Emperor's authority, not that many had been willing to try in the first place. The also made it impossible for any scuffles to occur between the humans and the new nonhuman residents, forcing them to find new ways of settling their differences like diplomacy and business dealings. Everyone was so busy dealing with these changes that they barely noticed that the temples of the Six Great Gods had been torn down and the priests had been arrested for "sedition and conspiracy against the Immortal Emperor and his subjects." There were no trials, no evidence was offered, and the priests simply disappeared with the Liches from the Eternal Empire taking their place as healers while Zuranon cultists preached Dracul's gospel to the people.

Angela hated the current state of affairs. These creatures had attacked the Holy Kingdom and killed her sister, so where was their punishment? Answer: There wasn't going to be any punishment. Nobody mourned Hope's passing but her, in fact, some had celebrated the collapse of the Holy Kingdom's regime saying that it was the dawning of a new age.

 _No doubt that vampire planned all of this._

Angela just watched bitterly as her people were metaphorically dragged into the Eternal Empire by being forced to obey their new laws and, in extreme cases, being sent to "reeducation." She herself had been selected for this which was why she was out on the streets, her armor hidden by a heavy cloak, and sticking to the alleys and backstreets in order to avoid detection. These alleys were empty for the most part, which was why she was considerably surprised when someone put their hand around her mouth to keep her from shouting and even more surprised by the fact that she hadn't sensed him sneaking up on her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the man whispered harshly. "But you need to be quiet. If anyone who serves the Immortal Emperor knows what we are doing, the world is doomed." Angela went stiff for a moment before nodding silently to show she understood prompting whoever this guy was to release her. Angela warily observed her…ally? He was a tall man in impressive silver-colored adamantite armor with a red cloak. His weapons were extremely impressive as well: an elegant sword from which power radiated and a shield that, while it wasn't as impressive as sword, looked like it could've block a swing from Jalbadaoth's claws. While Angela wasn't the smartest person on the planet, her warrior's instincts instantly told her that this man was skilled, perhaps even a better warrior than Momon.

 _He might even be a match for the Antichrist._

"Who are you?" she inquired warily.

"My name is Ainz Ooal Gown," Ainz introduced himself with a polite bow. "I understand you lost your sister, Queen Hope, in Jalbadaoth's initial onslaught. You have my condolences, as well as my apologies."

"Thank you, but why are you apologizing?" Angela inquired.

"Jalbadaoth was in fact a subordinate of the Immortal Emperor. He created the situation so that he could take advantage of it and portray himself as not only a benevolent savior, but a being of unrivaled power while simultaneously destroying the Holy Kingdom's government so that he would have an excuse to take over," Ainz informed her. Angela's expression continually shifted throughout the conversation from suspicious, shocked, horrified, to BLOODFUCKING FURIOUS.

"Why are you telling me this?" she demanded as she attempted to keep her rage in check. It wasn't working, she was twitching like a psycho killer.

"I am part of a group that intends to put an end to Mom- Lucifer's aspirations of world domination and I want you to help me," Ainz declared as he held out his hand. "I will face him in one on one combat, but I will need all the help I can get. My allies and I are preparing to ambush him at Crescent Lake. This will be our best chance to put an end to this madness."

"Are you going to kill him?" Angela asked, killing-intent coming off her in waves.

"N-, Yes. He will not leave that forest alive."

"Then what are we still doing here?"

"Follow me," Ainz beckoned as he started down an alleyway. "My sleipnir is on the outskirts of the city. We must hurry if we are to make it to the rendezvous in time."

* * *

Jessamine wasn't scared. She was beyond scared, beyond terrified. It helped that Corvo was next her, kneeling just like she was, but the individual who they were bowing to was beyond her comprehension. Death made flesh sat upon his throne, staring down at them with those awful soulless eyes and that cold, mirthless smile. Raw power radiated from him in such a way that she had difficulty breathing and she felt like she was being crushed.

"Corvo," Lucifer drawled. "Would you care to explain why you've brought this human with you?"

"Of course, my lord," Corvo replied, not moving from his kneeling position. "This is Jessamine Kaldwin, the human woman with whom I've spent this past year. She wishes to ask for your aid in freeing the enslaved elves from the Theocracy's grasp."

"I see," Lucifer mused as he leaned forward in his throne. "And does she know what you are?"

"No, sir."

"Show her." With that single statement, Jessamine was snapped out of her terrified trance and Corvo stiffened. "Show who what you really are. I am not a fool and I know how she feels about you. I am curious to see if that will change once she sees your true form."

"Is that really neces-," Corvo started.

"Do it." Corvo grimaced as he and Jessamine stood up and faced each other. To most, it would appear that Corvo was agitated by the fact he had to do this in the first place. But to Jessamine, who had lived with him for about a year, he looked worried that she may reject him and, since he was unable to maintain his usual stern gaze in these circumstances, had unconsciously twisted his features to make it harder for others to discern his thoughts. Jessamine let out a small "eep" when Corvo's head suddenly erupted into purple flames, leaving nothing of his features except for a black skull where his face had been, revealing his true form as a Vengeful Spirit. The two of them just stood there, staring at each other, for several minutes.

 _Oh, c'mon. Hurry the fuck up you two!_

"Well?" Corvo finally asked, hesitation obvious in his tone. Jessamine's response was to glomp onto him, although she still continued to tremble.

"Well, I suppose that answers that question," Lucifer chuckled, somewhat amused. "I like this one Corvo. Take care of her."

"Yes, my lord," Corvo replied with a bow after prying Jessamine off of him, glad that his face was all flames and bones right now so that nobody could see his blush, although he suspected that his unfathomably intelligent master knew nonetheless.

"Now, Ms. Kaldwin, if you would like our assistance in freeing the elves during our inevitable war against the Theocracy, then we will need any available information you have on the slave pens," Lucifer stated. "Although we intend to free the elves regardless of your assistance, the battle for Humanika will no doubt result in substantial civilian casualties. With your assistance, however, we will be able to plan our attack more accurately and efficiently, saving more lives and ending the war quicker. Now, would assist us, Ms. Kaldwin?"

"Y-yes. If it helps the elves then I'll be happy to assist you Mr. Dracul," Jessamine stuttered.

"Could you repeat that last part?" Lucifer demanded/asked in a dangerously low growl.

"I-I mean, your majesty!"

"That's better," Lucifer smirked as he stood up from his throne. "Corvo, you and Ms. Kaldwin should return to Humanika, with the events that are about to occur in the Elf Country I suspect the Theocracy will be making their move soon. Ms. Kaldwin, give your reports on the elf slave pens and markets to one of my subordinates before you leave. Have Omega open up a [Gate] for you, once you're done here."

 _Homestretch motherfucker! By the end of this month the entire will be mine! The Karnassus City State Alliance and the Troll Kingdom will surrender to me and then I'll move on to the Elf Country. It will be a perfect opportunity to remove Lakyus!_

"One last thing" please tell Albedo I'll be home a little late," Lucifer said as he lifted his hand as if he was about to use [Grasp Heart]. "[Gate]!"

"Did - did that go well?" Jessamine stammered, as Lucifer disappeared into the swirling darkness that had been created by his spell.

"About as well as I expected," Corvo replied as his face reformed into its usual human form. "Lord Dracul despises being kept out of the loop and I did sort of spring this meeting on him without any warning. But enough about that, you did much better than most mortals when they meet my master for the first time."

"Really? I was terrified!"

"I'd be concerned if you hadn't been."

"Do I get a reward when we get home," Jessamine asked slyly.

"What kind of reward?" Corvo asked hesitantly. Jessamine's response was to lean forward and whisper things in his ear that left both of them blushing. "I see, I believe I can arrange that."

* * *

 **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! FUCKNG FINALLY! This chapter is soooo late! Why you might ask? Work, my friend got engaged and made me the best man (TERRIBLE DECISION), writer's block, computer trouble, classes, and I got distracted and watched Code Geass for the first time (All Hail Lelouch). Overlord season 3 comes out tomorrow and I'm getting a boner from just thinking about! So, as always...….**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


	36. Aggressive Negotiations

Chapter 35: Aggressive Negotiations

The Troll Lords had gathered once again. However, since the they were expected to lead the forces for the final push into the heart of the Karnassus City-State Alliance, they were meeting in a cave gathered around a campfire within a mile of the capital city of Gellara instead of their beloved War Totem. Progress to reach this point had been slow, far slower than Rex would've liked. They had been gaining ground throughout this entire war with the puny weaklings, but scores of trolls died for every inch of ground they gained.

"Stupid fire swords!" Drog complained as he examined the wounds left upon him by the City State militias RunecraftTM weapons provided by the Eternal Empire, although the only one aware of that little detail was Gral.

"The number of casualties we've taken are unacceptable," Rex grumbled. "To think that such tiny creatures would be able to put up such a fight. We need to end this war fast and make them pay."

"In that case, I think I have some intel that will make your day, Rex," Gral spoke up, gaining the other three Troll Lords' attention. "I sent a scouting party from my tribe to perform reconnaissance on the capital city and discovered a system of underground passages that will allow us to bypass the-"

"Grr….. Big words! Talk normal!" Drog yelled, prompting Gral to facepalm as he was once again reminded of the fact that his fellow trolls were DUMBER THEN A FUCKING TEN-YEAR-OLD.

"There are tunnels under Gellara that we can use to sneak into the city and launch a surprise attack," Gral explained through clenched teeth, resisting the urge to grab Drog and chuck him into the fire.

"Hmm…. Not exactly what I was hoping for. A battle like that won't prove our superiority and our followers may think we've become cowards," Rex mumbled.

 _You stupid sunuva…._

"(Incomprehensible grunting noises)," Alz grunted.

 _Seriously!? Am I the only one who can't understand a single damned word he says!?_

"It's impossible to argue with you, Alz," Rex sighed as a smile of resignation worked its way onto his ugly features. "You're right. Any morons who question our strength or seek to replace us will still have to face us in combat and we will a perfect opportunity to remind them why the four of us are the Troll Lords."

"Good, we will commence our attack tonight and use the cover of darkness to our advantage," Gral proclaimed.

"Eh? Why you use stupid words!?" Drog shouted. Gral groaned as he fought the urge cut out Drog's tongue.

 _The sooner Dracul gets rid of these idiots the better._

* * *

Albedo stared at the unworthy maggots…..no, wait, Solution and some of the vampires from Eryuentiu had gathered as well. Commendable volunteers who had signed up for a daunting task, perhaps? Actually, they didn't volunteer. The mortals were selected among those who had lost everything during the Demonic Invasion of the Holy Kingdom and were told what was going to happen whether they like it or not. Whatever. This mix of maggots and somewhat respectable beings had gathered just outside of E-Rantel in the designated Dragon Landing Zone (DLZ for short). Dozens of those who had gathered were human along with several Dark Elves and Orcs from Abelion Hills, all of whom kept glancing between Albedo, Aura, the few Frost Dragons that had gathered, the large map that had been put up behind Albedo and Aura, and a few even dared to stare at Albedo's enlarged stomach indicating that, much to the anxiety of those who still fear and hated their emperor, an Immortal Heir was well on the way.

"Loyal servants of the Eternal Empire, thank you for accepting this mission," Albedo began as she put on her usual fake smile, her true smile was reserved for a select few. "You will all be acting as sleeper agents in the recently discovered land known as Tamriel, a relatively small continent that lies to the northeast. You have each been selected for this task because your races are compatible with those you will find in this primitive land."

"It'll be annoying to send you all in boats, so instead we're going to send you all over there on dragons!" Aura exclaimed excitedly. "Right Hejinmal?"

"R-right," Hejinmal said. Ever since being dragged to Nazarick by Aura, literally, he had been put on an exercise routine and was appointed as the representative for all Frost Dragons, which was absolutely terrifying since now he had to answer directly to the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord himself: Mortis. His father who had been the former White Dragon Lord, although now he was nothing but another of Emperor Dracul's undead minions as something called a Dracolich, had been a powerful and fierce figure but even he was nothing compared to Mortis. He was a living legend even among the Dragon Lords, the only one to go toe to toe with both the Heavenly Dragon Lord and the Brightness Dragon Lord and live! Please keep in mind, the Heavenly Dragon Lord is the size of a MOTHERFUCKING ISLAND!

 _That was thousands of years ago though. I wonder who would win if they fought again?_

"Upon your arrival in Tamriel, you will coordinate with Solution and will each be tasked with gathering information or elevating yourselves to positions of authority within the Cyrodiil Empire, Aldmeri Dominion, and any other organization that may be of use when we begin our conquest," Albedo continued. "The Immortal Emperor has estimated that our invasion will commence in approximately 25 years. The more useful you are to the Supreme One the more you and your families will be rewarded."

"That being said, any of you who try to betray our master will be punished," Solution added in with a sadistic grin. "Personally, I'm looking forward to dealing with those of you who forget who you serve." Those who had been gathered shivered.

"Alrighty then! All aboard the dragons, muthafuckas!" Aura cheered as she hopped on Hejinmal's back followed by Solution while the mortals reluctantly climbed onto the other dragons.

"Aura! Language!" Albedo called out as the dragons took take flight. She would've berated Aura more using [Message] but she suddenly felt a kick from her insides. A tiny, infantile kick accompanied by quiet giggling that sounded like it came from a demonic baby.

* * *

The convoy went on for as far as the eye could see, a human eye at any rate. Countless Death Chevaliers, Death Warriors, Vashiks, Death Knights, Dark Paladins, Hanzos, Vampire Knights, and Skull Knights were mounted on Soul Eaters while Skeleton Dragons, Stygi, Wraiths, and a few Dracoliches acted as their eyes in the sky. Dracoliches, unlike their lower level counterparts, Skeleton Dragons, were made from the corpses of actual dragons instead of being put together from a mishmash of bones from lesser creatures. They were large, bony dragons that maintained SOME of their tattered scaly flesh and purple flames flickered in their empty eye sockets with more purple light emanating from within their chests casting the shadows of their ribcages against the interior of their flesh. These creatures were capable of using Wild Magic, Necromancy, and any abilities they might've had when they were among the living. Amongst the undead were a many mounted individuals who stood out since they were neither mounted upon an undead creature or monstrous themselves, for the most part anyway. Nearly two hundred members of the Imperial Adventurers Guild were riding horseback alongside the undead legions. They were understandably nervous, being surrounded by monsters that could eat them for breakfast, but the presence of several adamantite adventurers helped to alleviate their concerns. The twins were sharing a horse, Tina holding the reins and Tia watching their back, Momon, Myriah, and Evileye were riding Hamsuke, Lakyus and Gargan were riding horses on either side of Hamsuke, and Nabe was flying directly above them.

"We should be arriving the edge of the forest within the next hour," Myriah announced as she continued to examine the map Momon had given her.

"Sehr gut….er… Very good," Momon said. "Since we won't be able to reach the elven capital before nightfall, we'll have find a place to rest for the night. Are there any villages along the way?"

"Y-Yeah! Acrapool Village is pretty close to the path we're taking!"

"That should work," Momon mused. "The Eternal Empire's soldiers will stand guard around the village outskirts as to not alert the locals. The rest of will bunk together so that we aren't a burden to our hosts."

"T-t-together?" Myriah squeaked as she stared at Momon with an evident blush on her face.

"Eh? Elf, you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking," Evileye with in a threateningly pleasant tone. "Cause if you're thinking what I'm thinking you're thinking, you'll wish you weren't thinking that thought!"

"So many thoughts there are," Hamsuke groaned.

"You're right, Wise King of the Forest," Evileye nodded. "There are a lot of THOTS around here."

"Stupid gnats, stop breathing," Nabe muttered as she plugged her fingers into her ears.

"Evileye, please be courteous to our guide," Momon interjected putting a hand on Evileye's hip, instantly reducing the jealous vampire to a nervous and flustered mess.

"Oh…..um…er….right. Sure. I'm s-sorry. Whatever you say Momon."

"Your face has turned rather red. Are you feeling unwell?"

"I-I'm fine! There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Gods help us," Lakyus sighed in exasperation while Gargan simply chuckled at their lovestruck teammate. Lakyus wasn't sure how she felt about all this. She was glad Evileye was making some progress with her love interest, but Momon wasn't only a follower of the Immortal Emperor, he was a creation. The closer she got to him the more she was pulled to Lucifer's side and away from the rest of her team.

 _If things keep going this way, it will only be a matter of time before Evileye declares she is joining Darkness and starts serving the Immortal Emperor directly._ _What if it has something to do with the fact that she's a vampire? Dracul's openly declared himself as Father Blood, the father of all vampires, so if Evileye is indeed one of his children of the night then maybe he's subconsciously turning her to his side through the connection in their blood?_

That was a scary thought. Lucifer Dracul could be gradually subverting Blue Rose…..scratch that…..the entire National Liberation Party by controlling Evileye, one of their leaders. Between her and Zur, who had made no secret of serving the Antichrist, he might've been pulling their strings all along and they wouldn't even have known it. Lakyus groaned and put her hand to her head.

 _This is why I leave things like this to Princess Renner. She's so much better than me at these games of politics and deception. As long as I trust in my friend, I know we'll get through this._

"EEP!" Evileye suddenly yelped, interrupting Lakyus' thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Momon asked in a worried tone.

"You're hand just brushed against my butt!" Evileye shrieked, causing Lakyus to let out an exasperated sigh. Under normal circumstances, she would ask Evileye for advice on how to proceed. However, given the petite vampire's infatuation with Momon, Lakyus was afraid that her old friend might wake up one morning and decide to start throwing her fist up in salute while waving a around the Eternal Empire's flag screaming 'Nema!' or 'All hail Lucifer Dracul!'

"Oh! My apologies," Momon said.

"Well….I didn't dislike it," Evileye muttered quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! I didn't say anything! Moving on!"

* * *

The Archbishop of the Slane Theocracy, Pontifex Maximus, sighed as stared out the window in his office within the Shrine of the First Miko. The Theocracy's soldiers had been ordered begin setting up magical defenses in every district, traps that would trigger in the presence of the undead, and inform the public that martial law was now in effect and a curfew would be strictly enforced. He never thought that it might come to this. He knew that the battle against the Antichrist would not be without sacrifices, but he never thought that he would have to order 80% of the Theocracy's forces to withdraw from the other cities and villages and report to the capital city of Humanika to strengthen its defenses. While the soldiers would be able to maintain order in the capital and MIGHT be capable of at least slowing the Antichrist down, this left the other cities and villages under the Theocracy's control woefully low on manpower. Already small militia groups had sprung up and began their own little inquisitions, accusing people left and right of heresy or being in league with the Immortal Emperor. It was similar to living under the authority of mobsters or a gang.

While this reign of terror kept riots from breaking out and the populace under control, these militias were not capable of enforcing measures against that Rat Plague which, although it had been purged from the capital, continued to sow discord in the other cities and continued to spread throughout the Theocracy's through various disease vectors such as trading caravans, food, corpses, or anything else they rats may have gotten their nasty little teeth into. Then there were those who had lost their minds due to the plague that the people had taken to calling Weepers which now skulked in dark alleys, abandoned homes, and sewers.

 _A necessary sacrifice. The chaos will be purged in order will be restored once…..if Lucifer and his empire are sent back to hell from which they came._

He was snapped out of his brooding when someone knocked on the door to his office.

"Your holiness," came the voice of the Cardinal of Wind. "May I please enter?"

"Yes, yes. Come in," Maximus sighed as he pulled himself away from the balcony and took a seat behind his desk just in time for the Cardinal of Wind to close the door behind him. "Have a seat Dominic."

"Thank you, your holiness." the Cardinal of Wind said as he sat down. "Raymond asked me to inform you that he and Yvon have left the city along with the Black Scripture and several platoons of troops. Traveling by Slepnirs, they should arrive at their destination in 2 or 3 days. Perhaps sooner if they hurry."

"I see. Good," Maximus murmured offhandedly. "Tell me, what do you think of our chances? Should this coalition fail, what do you think are our chances of emerging from this catastrophe intact?"

"Your holiness! Of course, the Theocracy will emerge triumphant!" the Cardinal of Wind exclaimed, although the hope in his voice did not quite reach his eyes. "The Six Great Gods will not allow humanity to be swallowed by the Antichrist and his resurrected empire! We will-"

"Dominic! I am not asking you as a cardinal but as an old friend," Maximus snapped. "Honestly, what do you think are our chances?"

"If the Antichrist prevails in the battle overcoming both Zesshi and Ainz, then I fear the best we can hope for is survival," the Cardinal of Wind replied grimly. "Despite your disagreements with Maximilian, he does have a point. None of us really know what will happen when Ahura Mazda is unleashed. All we have to go by is the description left by the Six and if Lucifer did truly come into conflict with them like he said, then he may very well have a countermeasure to employ against its holy power."

"That is my fear as well. We cannot defeat the Antichrist in terms of strength and we cannot win through intelligence and strategy either. How can we engage in a battle of wits with a being that in impossible to understand? The minds of our own Six Great Gods were incomprehensible to their followers and it appears Lucifer Dracul follows in that pattern," Maximus grumbled before a sad smile spread across his face. "Although, in the end, I suppose that incomprehensibility is as much a mercy as it is an obstacle."

"What do you mean?" the Cardinal of Wind inquired with a puzzled look on his face.

"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far," Maximus drawled (kudos to whoever understands this reference!). "Just look at Jircniv. His attempts to understand the Immortal Emperor and his machinations pushed him to the brink of madness. Only now that he gave up on that endeavor is his health finally improving. He's even regrown all his hair! Lucky bastard."

"I… see," the Cardinal of Wind murmured, not entirely sure what the Archbishop was rambling on about.

"It matters very little in the end, I suppose," Maximus sighed as he reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out 2 journals, one worn and old while the other looked relatively new. "Let's move on to the reason I called you here. Within these journals are my own personal observations of the Antichrist and his possible weaknesses, which are all highly speculative, as well as the original scriptures written and handed down by Alah Alaf himself. I want you to take it as well as one hundred of our remaining priests and paladins. Take them and leave the Theocracy, no, leave this land altogether."

"Your holiness, you can't be serious! The priests and paladins will be needed in the fight against the Antichrist and I cannot, WILL NOT, abandon the Theocracy!"

"Silence! We will do what must be done to ensure the survival of the teachings the Six Great Gods bestowed upon humanity, even if it means resorting to something like this!" Maximus shouted before taking a deep breath as if to steady himself. "You are to take a ship and head northeast to the mysterious land known as Tamriel. Perhaps you can slip into the country undetected, but if necessary, you might be able to barter for asylum among whatever natives reside there."

"But your holiness, what am I to do once I arrive there?"

"Spread the word of the Six Great Gods if possible, but your priority should be to prepare for, should we who remain fail to stop him, the eventuality that Lucifer will set his sights on Tamriel and seek to spread his evil to those foreign shores."

"I understand and obey, your holiness," the Cardinal of Wind replied grudgingly. "But I would like to express my unhappiness with abandoning the country for which I've shed blood, sweat, and tears."

"Consider your discontent noted," Maximus said as he leaned back in his seat. "However, if we fail to defeat Dracul, then you and those that you take with you will be all that remain of the Theocracy. Do you understand?"

"Yes … your holiness," the Cardinal of Wind responded solemnly.

* * *

The life of an orphan was not a pleasant one. Sure, there were orphanages that would take them in, but that was only a temporary solution. What often happened to the those who weren't adopted was that the kids would age out when they turned 10 years old and be forced to live on the streets which would force them into thievery and, if they lived long enough, they were usually taken in by the Eight Fingers who would groom them to become their thugs. But things had changed, dramatically so.

Most people hadn't noticed, most people hadn't really cared what happened to a bunch of dirty little orphans, but Lelouch was not most people. Even at a young age, Lelouch had been more observant than most children his age, or most of the adults for that matter. He had noticed that the kids who aged out weren't showing up on the streets, they weren't showing up anywhere. They would be led away by an Elder Lich to the Administration Building and they would simply vanish. Lelouch wasn't quite sure what happened to them, but he was about to find out. The Elder Lich, Captain Mors, stared at the one remaining purple eye the boy had with his other covered by dirty bandages. The boy was thin, had raven black hair, and was glaring at him with an eye that radiated intelligence and cunning. Oh yes, this one would be special, he could feel it.

"Name?" Mors rasped.

"Lel-" the boy started.

 _No, Lelouch Lamprouge is dead. He died with Nunnally during Jaldabaoth's attack on Re-Estize._

"I am Julius Kingsley!" he declared, his scowl becoming more defined at the thought of his dear little sister.

"Thank you, please step into the next room," Mors smirked as he looked over the files they had on him. Note to self: remind the young Lamprouge that if he wished to legally change his name he would have to visit the office of registration. Yes, this boy would be VERY interesting. Julius's glare shifted from the Elder Lich to the double doors in front of him.

 _Show no weakness._

With his head held high, Julius stormed into the other room, where a Gatekeeper, clad in its usual red robes stood there awaiting him.

"Come boy. [Gate]!" the creature rasped as portal of swirling darkness appeared before them. "Step inside, mortal." If he was afraid, Julius didn't show it. He simply inhaled, exhaled, and stepped through the portal. He was surprised by what he found on the other side. He was in the middle of a coliseum with a beautiful night sky above him (even though the sun was still setting back in E-Rantel) and countless other children about his age around him. Julius estimated that there were at least two hundred kids with him. Some of them he recognized from the orphanage, some of them he didn't, but they all seemed to be orphans. What really caught his attention, however, was the parade of Death Knights in the stands and the two Dark Paladins standing on a balcony overlooking the arena. In between the Dark Paladins was HIM. Julius shook himself as he cleared himself of that thought. No, this wasn't Jaldabaoth, Jaldabaoth was dead. Seeing more children were being brought in through [Gate]s, presumably from the different territories under the Eternal Empire's control, Julius decided to sit down and wait, preferably away from the annoying loud idiots who talking, whispering, yelling, or outright panicking. He sat along the edge of the coliseum next to quiet (thank god) girl with green hair and yellow eyes who looked extremely surprised that he had chosen to sit next to her while he simply turned his analytical gaze towards her.

 _She looks familiar, I think she was in the orphanage. Didn't really talk to her much, but I heard she was among the "merchandise" that was recovered from the Eight Fingers slave trade operation._

After a few minutes of waiting in a comfortable silence, the two of they were joined by another two kids. The brown-haired boy sent Julius a nervous smile while the redheaded girl continued to scowl at the undead guards in the room.

 _That boy seems to be from Baharuth. Based off his clothes, I'd be willing to bet that he was the son of some nobleman who lost his status during one of Ex-Emperor Jircniv's purges. He's nervous and tries to hide it with a smile while hoping things turn out alright. He's passive. The girl seems to be from the Draconic Kingdom. Looks like she's one of the refugees who were taken in when the Eternal Empire got involved with the Beastmen Country. She's terrified but masking it by acting tough. That said, she's a fighter. If it comes down to it, she'll fight tooth and nail to stay alive._

"H-hi. Do you mind if we sit with you?" the boy asked.

"Sure," Julius grunted.

"I'm Suzaku and this is Kallen," Suzaku said as he gestured to the redhead behind him prompting Kallen to growl lightly and turn away, once again focusing on the undead. "Who are you guys?"

"Julius Kingsley," Julius replied curtly before glancing over at the green haired girl who had tensed at the question of her name.

"C.C.," she muttered while eyeing them warily.

 _She's paranoid. She refuses to give out anything meaningful about herself, even her name is regarded as private information. I guess her time with Eight Fingers bred some unusual habits._

Julius's thoughts were interrupted when the demon on the balcony began to speak.

"Good evening children," Demiurge drawled. "I am here today to ask you a question: do you feel powerless? Do fear the uncertainty the future brings? Do you seek a way to pull yourselves up from the proverbial muck? Then rejoice! For our Immortal Emperor, in his wisdom, has offered you a path forward!"

From here on out, Julius mostly tuned out the Demon's grandstanding. Instead he decided to study his fellow orphans in the coliseum.

They were around the same age as himself and while not everyone here was exactly physically fit, there were no handicapped kids. The Eternal Empire had only taken orphans which implied they wanted people who had nothing to lose or perhaps that they wanted to make sure they didn't take anyone who would be missed. Were they planning to simply massacre them all in order to create new undead armies? No, if that were the case they probably wouldn't have wasted time on this ridiculous speech which had taken everyone's undivided attention (apart from himself and C.C. who had tried to make herself as small as possible and kept warily glancing around as if she expected to be attacked). Perhaps they would be used as slave labor? No, once again they wouldn't have wasted time with a speech and probably would've just put them straight to work. They're offering power, could it be that the Eternal Empire intended to mold them into effective members of the new regime? It would make sense; the Eternal Empire was quickly swallowing up what was left of the known world. Like it or not, they seemed to be the future. However, the empire had expanded far too rapidly and there were only so many corpses the Immortal Emperor could turn into servants, so it wouldn't be outlandish to think he was short on manpower. The obvious solution would be to recruit from the local population and while training, teaching, and raising kids to take positions within the government (most likely military positions), while it would not provide immediate solutions it would eventually begin to show long-term advantages and solutions.

"Henceforth, you are now all cadets in the Imperial Military!" Demiurge announced, snapping Julius out of his thoughts and causing him to turn his attention back to the bespectacled demon. "Tomorrow, you will be given ability assessment tests to determine your strengths and weaknesses before being put on teams of four. Those of who excel will be given high ranking positions in the empire. It would be best if you embraced the situation, after all, you will be training for the next 10 years. Tonight, you will be sleeping in the quarters provided to you in the forest. Please follow the elves, they will direct you to your new homes."

"You don't think there are monsters in the forest, do you?" Suzaku whispered fearfully.

"I doubt it," Julius responded with an exasperated sigh. "Well, none that will try to eat us anyway. They wouldn't want to waste resources by turning us into food."

"That doesn't mean we should let our guard down," Kallen interjected, speaking for the first time since entering the coliseum. Julius, however, wasn't really paying attention to her and was instead staring at C.C. who was standing as still as a statue and staring nervously at the crowd of children who were filing out of the coliseum. Julius felt an odd sort of ache in his heart as he watched her, reminding him of how harsh the world had been to those who lived in it.

 _Nunnally…_

A look of fierce determination worked its way onto Julius's features as he made a solemn vow.

 _Very well then, Lucifer Dracul, if you're offering power then I accept! I will take whatever you have to offer and use it to create the gentler world where no one will have to suffer like we did ever again!_

Tentatively, Julius slipped next to C.C. and gently grabbed her hand. C.C. stiffened and turned to stare at him warily. Julius merely returned the stare for a few moments before gesturing towards the forest.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked brusquely. C.C. didn't respond for a few moments and seemed to be debating whether or not it would be alright for her to speak, until finally...

"Will there be good food?"

"I'll tell you what," Julius chuckled. That had not been the response he was expecting. "You stick with me, and I'll find you the most delicious food you've ever tasted.

"V-very well," C.C. said as her nervousness seemed to subside, if only a little. "Y-you better make good on our contract."

"Contract, huh?" Julius smirked. "What are you, a demon?"

"I'm a witch, thank you very much."

"What a coincidence, I just so happen to b a warlock."

Julius may not know what the future holds, no for certain anyway, but at least he'd an accomplice to face it with.

* * *

The sun had finally set. A vicious, stupid grin stretched across Drog's face as the last rays of light disappeared beyond the horizon. He might not have liked this plan, but damned if he wasn't happy to have the chance to feast upon those who resided in Gellara. Gral had told him that these passages would lead the trolls into the heart of the city, and so here he was, leading his subordinates through the tunnels with their only source of light being the torches they brought with them while trudging through some sort of slop that smelled like spoiled milk and tasted like vomit. Why did he think it was a good idea to taste it? No damn clue.

"Lord Drog!" one of his nameless subordinates called out. "Up ahead the path diva… divern…. Dive….uh…. the path splits!"

"We take right!" Drog bellowed. "Right is the same as right so it must be right!" And with that unintelligent proclamation, the trolls continued on towards the tunnel on the right, not bothering to read the signs left behind by Ijaniya which clearly stated to go left.

Stupid fucking trolls.

* * *

The villagers of Acrapool didn't know what to make of the small army that had marched into their land. Their first reaction had been absolute terror upon seeing the countless undead monstrosities, but that had shifted to confusion when they took notice of the adventurers. Their leader, a giant man named Momon, had negotiated with the village elders to allow them to spend the night before proceeding in the morning. The elders agreed on the condition that the undead army had to stay outside the village. The adventurers, on the other hand, spent the night inside abandoned huts and treehouses. Momon himself was currently returning to his treehouse after making preparations for Vega's arrival with Ainzach. Apparently, some of the elven villagers had overheard and rumors had begun to spread that their force was heading to the capital to kill the king. There weren't any objections, in fact, a few of the villagers dared to hope that these strangers would be successful. More importantly, the master would be joining them tomorrow. While Vega may not desire a welcoming befitting royalty, one did not simply welcome the Immortal Emperor. Momon, as the leader of this expedition, had been given his own private residence for the night which was being guarded by Nabe, so finding her keeping watch outside wasn't surprising. What was surprising was finding a sleeping Evileye curled up on his bed in a state of… undress. Momon shuddered at the sight of the smooth pale skin.

 _Mein Gott. Keep it together Pandora's Actor. Keep it together!_

* * *

At around the same time in a separate part of the Elf Country, the Black Scripture as well as a few platoons of the Theocracy's finest were racing through the Great Forest of Evasha along the path that Zesshi had carved through elven territory. Ruvik was up at the head of the formation with the Cardinals of Earth and Light at his sides while Corvo and Zur brought up the rear.

"Listen up!" Ruvik shouted. "I want everyone to be alert as we head deeper into elven territory! I've been told that this mission will decide the fate of the Theocracy, so we can't afford to make any mistakes!"

"What exactly is our mission, sir?" Memento Mori inquired.

"You were extremely vague about what we're doing here, sir," Cedran stated.

"The Archbishop didn't give me the specifics of the assignment, said there was too much of a risk that the Immortal Emperor might catch onto what we're doing," Ruvik replied before sending Corvo and Zur a meaningful look. "We have been ordered to reach an outpost near Crescent Lake to meet with a man in silver armor. He will provide us with the details of our mission and will serve as our commander for the duration."

"Well, that doesn't sound suspicious at all," Kaire snarked.

"What the hell? Some nobody thinks that they're going to get to order us around?" Oras complained.

"Orders are orders. Get over yourself Time Turbulence," Garuna said exasperatedly as she brushed some dirt off of the "school uniform" that had been left by the Six.

"Not the words I would've used, but I share the sentiment more or less," Kuaiesse spoke up. Corvo simply growled quietly while Zur began hypothesizing what this mission was and what it had to do with his master. The Cardinal of Earth, however, was focusing on his smiling counterpart worriedly.

 _Yvon has been quiet. Too quiet. I think this might've been the longest he's ever gone without yelling something, or just speaking in general. Why the hell is he so excited? He knows what's about to happen, who we're about to face. Is he really so certain that we will succeed? Or is he hiding something from us, an ulterior motive for why he wanted to come along? Dammit. Maximilian was always better at this sort of thing than I was._

Meanwhile, the Cardinal of Light hadn't been paying attention to a single thing anyone had said. He was silently toying the pyramid-like object hidden in the folds of his robes with only one thought in his mind as he saw the sun begin to rise.

It was almost time.

* * *

It was finally time. It took the stupid trolls longer than expected to navigate the tunnels under Gellara in order to reach the checkpoint being watched by Shadow Demons. Now it was only a matter of time until his troll pawns stormed the city. The delay, while not entirely unexpected but certainly unappreciated, had given Lucifer time to stroll through Gellara's streets, browse the shops, and scare the living shit of the citizens who lived there. No one knew who he was but the way he looked coupled with the fact he had four Dark Paladins escorting him through the city would put anyone on edge. Whole streets became deserted as he strode through, guards would freeze and tremble at the mere sight of him, and some people would outright run away screaming. Lucifer was mildly impressed with the city so far. It reminded him of 1500s Venice, and their economy seemed to be mostly based on mercantilism. Not the worst idea he had ever heard and certainly looked like things had more or less worked out for the City State Alliance.

 _They might be the first country I've encountered that has actually managed to do a good job. Surprisingly strong economy, adequate military force similar to the former Baharuth Empire, religious freedom, and a low crime rate. They have their fair share issues, but who doesn't._

"Uh-um, is there anything you'd like to purchase, s-sir?"

Lucifer glanced disinterestedly down at the merchant who was trembling before him. The filthy insignificant little mutt worm who DARED to speak to him.

 _Oh fuck, that train of thought went wrong REAL fast._

"No, I'm just browsing," Lucifer drawled before turning away to examine another vendor's merchandise. Luckily for her, she never had to squirm under his soulless gaze as a few dozen guards cautiously approached the Dracula and his entourage. "Ah, the guards, good. I was wondering how long it would take you all to work up the courage to confront me."

"I-I-I am Lieutenant Lenaie," the fairy guard at the front of the group stuttered nervously. "W-we have received complaints from several citizens about you causing a disturbance within the city."

 _Congratulations, it only an hour and a half for you cowards to finally approach me._

"My apologies lieutenant," Lucifer drawled as he turned on the false charm that had become second nature. "I was visiting the city and I've been attempting to find my way to the Administrative Building to meet with the leading mayors."

"A-and why would the mayors grant you an audience?" Lenaie asked, apparently gaining a little more confidence with the large amounts of guards gathering behind her. Ah, the confidence of the mob.

"Because I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, ruler of the Eternal Empire," Lucifer said with a not-so-innocent smile that showed off his pearly white fangs. "You wouldn't want your superiors to hold you responsible for impeding in the negotiations between our nations, would you?"

"N-no sire," Lenaie replied with a nervous flap of her wings as she and the group of guards behind all turned sickly pale. They'd all heard about the massacre at Katze Plains and the countless other stories that had circulated throughout the country about his power. "Ple-please follow me. The Administration Building is right over here."

"Thank you, lieutenant," Lucifer said in an appeased tone. "Would you kindly lead the way?"

"O-of course," Lenaie stuttered as she started to lead the group of undead abominations through the crowds which immediately parted rather than risk earning either the Dark Paladins' or the Antichrist's ire. Lenaie attempted to act as a tour guide, pointing at points of interest and notable locations, but Lucifer ignored the little fairy for the most part, instead honing his senses to track the life signatures of the trolls moving under the city. The exception was a statue just outside the Administration Building of the Dark Knight of the Thirteen Heroes, Isake Narbor. He was portrayed as wearing armor similar to that of the Black Knight from Dark Souls.

 _Hmm… Nope. I don't know that guy. Oh well._

"So this is the Administration Building," Lucifer mused, interrupting Lenaie's nervous history lesson about how Isake became the hero of the Karnassus City State Alliance. "Thank you for your assistance lieutenant, we can take it from here."

 _This place kinda looks like the Altare della Patria in Italy._

"With all due respect your majesty," Lenaie interjected, flinching when his soulless eyes turned to pierce her. "You have quite the reputation here, it would be better if I escorted you inside rather than if you just barged in. I would announce your arrival and then you can do… whatever it is you came here to do."

"Thank you for your assistance lieutenant."

"Just please don't kill anyone."

* * *

"May I have your attention, please?" Sebas shouted so the panicking masses gathered before him would shut the fuck up. Why were they panicking one might ask? It could've been several reasons. There were Zuranon Cultists in the room, which always set people on edge, they were preparing to attack the capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom, and there were 4 Death Squads (1 Death Squad = 1 Skull Knight + 8 Death Knights) off to the sides of the stage he was standing on with Brain, Climb, and Princess Renner.

Thankfully, his shouting had the desired effect as the gathered freedom fighters of the National Liberation Party decided to shut the fuck up.

"Everyone, please," Renner spoke up, putting on the kind princess act. "I know that many of you are uncomfortable working around the undead, especially those of you who were present during the undead invasion of E-Rantel or the Katze Plains Massacre. However, as we are preparing for our final push into Re-Estize capital we're going to need all the help we can get."

Sebas continued to stare at her out of the corner of his eye as she bowed her head, once again swaying the crowd of her admirers to do pretty much whatever she wants. The biggest admirer, however, was the boy who stood proudly at her side.

 _Poor Climb._

"Princess Renner is right," Sebas spoke up. "Additionally, the Eternal Empire's soldiers demonstrated their power during the Demonic Invasion of the Holy Kingdom and I daresay that if we execute our plan efficiently then our revolution will end in a resounding victory for the NLP."

"Which is what brings us here today," Brain spoke up. "We need to divide our forces to surround the capital before we attack and divvy up the undead reinforcements so we will have and unstoppable force coming at them from all sides."

"We must not let Prince, or rather, King Zanac or Count Ritton escape," Sebas continued. "If they do, Ritton will use his wealth to gather another army while Zanac will use his influence to rally support from the Royalists in the other cities. Both of the outcomes would result in prolonging the conflict."

"A prolonged conflict won't benefit anyone and will only result in more unnecessary death," Renner continued. "Everyone must do their part, the people who take the city and the people who will establish checkpoints to capture fleeing nobles will be divided into subgroups in order to maximize our efficiency."

"The longer we sit here, the more time we give our enemies to prepare a defense. Report to your commanders, we will move out in 4 hours," Sebas announced.

* * *

"….And so the motion has been carried that we will reroute the militia from Ragola to support our forces in Yix," Fai announced to her fellow mayors, concluding their most recent move in their war with the Trolls. "Now what is the news here in Gellara?"

"Strangely quiet," Kabelia reported. "It's already noon and they haven't attacked yet."

"Perhaps they're trying to wait us out," Kellinci mused. "If they cut off our supply lines they won't have to fight us, they'll just need to waltz into our city after we've starved to death."

"Unlikely," Zabek interjected. "They may want our territory, but Trolls only ever think with their stomachs. They want to eat us and shriveled up corpses won't provide them much in terms of nutrition. Plus, we'll just taste like ass by that point."

"And you know this because…" Fai inquired. Zabek simply scowled at her, his scars giving his gaunt face a more threatening appearance then he would have otherwise. "Forget I asked."

"Moving on," Kabelia said with a roll of her eyes at the thought of Zabek's questionable past. "We still have reports of increased troll activity along the border of…."

"Excuse me your excellencies!" Lenaie shouted as she swiftly marched into the room.

"We're in the middle of something," Zabek snarled, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"My apologies your excellency, I would not be intruding if it wasn't an urgent matter!"

"Very well," Fai said. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The Immortal Emperor is here."

Silence. Absolute silence.

The guards in the room straightened, the mayors stiffened, and the desk clerks began to shiver.

"Thank you for announcing me, lieutenant," came a cold, smooth voice that reeked of authority and was simultaneously soothing yet threatening. Death given human form sauntered into the room through the doors which Lenaie had left open when she entered accompanied by his entourage of powerful monsters from the dawn of existence. His soulless red eyes swept over the mayors, each feeling as if they were naked and bare before that piercing gaze, and not in the fun way. "Greetings. As Lieutenant Lenaie just said, I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, sovereign of the Eternal Empire."

"Gr-greetings your majesty," Kabelia stuttered being the first to find her voice. "Forgive our surprise, but we weren't expecting you." There was no way in hell she was going to tell him that he should've made an appointment as she had the feeling that he had little patience for bureaucracy. The fact that he had allowed of their subordinates to give them a (slight) heads up was probably the closest they would get in terms of consideration from him.

"No matter, no matter," Lucifer chuckled with a dismissive wave of his hand as he started a counting down in his head.

"May we inquire what exactly brings you here, your majesty?" Kellinci asked with a nervous twitch of his remaining rabbit ear.

"Simple really, I wished to examine your civilization myself," Lucifer drawled. "I'm sure you remember the message sent to you by my wife regarding our stance towards your nation?"

"Yes," growled Zabek as he kept a hand on his waist where his sword would've been in the old days, old habits and all that. "She claimed you would seize our lands."

"Correct, we decided that if you were unable to defend your own territory we would force the trolls out and take it for ourselves," Lucifer continued. "However, after seeing your city for myself I believe that there will be no need for my empire to interfere in your affairs. Impressive, by mortal standards that is."

"I'm not sure I follow," Fai stated in a confused tone. "Are you saying that you're just going to just leave us alone?"

"Yes, that is, as long as you manage to repel the troll invasion," Lucifer shrugged. "Your has not been deemed my own and your culture, my only concern is whether or not you have the military strength to defend your lands. If you are able to keep the trolls out of your capital, then you will never have need to fear my empire."

"Really?" Kabelia asked in a disbelieving tone.

 _…_ _5…_

"Really," Lucifer returned with a smirk. "Now, since we have that matter out of the way, we should discuss the situation with fire swords we sent you, courtesy of our dwarven craftsmen. Have they served you well?"

 _…_ _4…_

"They have," Zabek grunted. "I'm guessing you to offer us some more?"

 _…_ _3…_

"Yes, although we sent the last batch without asking for anything in return, from now on if you want more than we can't walk away empty-handed."

 _…_ _2…_

"I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement," Kellinci said.

 _…_ _1…_

"Indeed, we can start with-," Fai began before being interrupted by the sounds of screaming and fighting just outside the room.

"What's going on out there!?" Lenaie shouted just before the doors were broken down and four trolls rushed into room roaring and shouting.

"Gurk will kill all!" one of them roared as it swung its club towards Lenaie. Quicker than perceivable to the human eye, however, a gauntlet clad hand reached out and grabbed the club before it could make contact. "What that!?"

"Fool," Lucifer sneered at the stupid staring troll who was attempting to rip his club out of Lucifer's grasp to no avail. After humoring the troll for a few more moments, he let go of the club, sending the troll who tugging with all his might tumbling backwards into his compatriots. "Dark Paladins, deal with the trolls in the next room."

"Yes my lord!" one of the Dark Paladins exclaimed before charging into the other room blade first closely followed by its counterparts. "For his majesty!"

"As for the rest of you," Lucifer said in an eerily calm tone as he turned to face the four trolls and activated his [Demon Eyes of Domination]. **"Kill yourselves."**

"Yes your majesty!" the trolls cheered as psychotic grins stretched across their faces. One troll bashed his own brains out with his club, one stuck a spear through his eye and into the brain, one disemboweled himself, and the last one simply snapped his own neck.

"Oh gods…." Fai muttered as she made an active effort not to vomit. Unfortunately, her voice had called Lucifer's attention back to her and her fellow mayors. The cold smile was gone. You'd think they might've been happy to wipe that smirk off his face, but now he looked at them with disappointment and contempt, as if he was staring at ants who had failed at being ants.

"It seems that the trolls have managed to break into your city," Lucifer hissed, the stress and fear finally overtaking Fai as she threw up all over her desk. "I'll make this simple for you: you are incapable of protecting your lands and managing your society, you will step down and surrender your territory to me. If you refuse you will be removed and replaced by those who are more cooperative. I will deal with the trolls inside the city and then I will destroy the Troll Kingdom. My subordinates will inform you once I have completed my task." Lucifer turned to leave but turned around one last time and shot a smirk at Kabelia. "Oh, by the way, Jircniv says hello."

"Smug bastard," the now blushing mayor muttered under her breath as she habitually adjusted her glasses.

With that out of the way, Lucifer stormed out of the room with Lenaie trotting behind him worriedly and his Dark Paladins rejoining him just before he exited the building. The scenery had changed while he was inside. The statue of Isake had been toppled over, revealing one of the passages the trolls had used to enter the city. The trolls hadn't even been here 10 minutes and already the peaceful town square had become a scene of death and chaos.

"DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG!" Drog roared while waving his massive spiked club in the air.

"Congratulations, you know your own name," Lucifer scathingly commented, prompting the trolls to turn their big stupid faces towards him, roar, and charge.

"Oh shit," Lenaie squeaked as she hid behind Lucifer.

"[Blood Siphon]," Lucifer said as his mouth opened an inhuman amount like the gaping jaws of the underworld. Every troll in the square suddenly turned pale and shriveled up into nothing but skin and bones much like what he had done to Clementine so long ago as all of their blood floated out of their mouths, through the air, and into Lucifer's waiting mouth. The people of Gellara stared in awe and fear at Lucifer as he leisurely waltzed down the steps from the Administration Building and opened a [Gate] for his armies to start marching out of and into the city. "Lock down the city and kill any remaining trolls. This is our territory now."

"Yes, my lord!" a Skull Knight boomed.

[Demiurge, I'm done in Gellara. Is everything ready on your end?]

[Yes, my lord. Go Gin and I are in position and Gral is meeting with the remaining Troll Lords]

[Excellent, I'll be with you shortly.]

"[Gate]!" And with that, Lucifer was gone from Gellara, leaving countless people staring at the spot where he had just been standing, the spot from which he had massacred countless trolls and declared the city his as if it were no big deal.

"What the fuck just happened?" Lenaie asked out loud.

* * *

"Why did you call us here, Gral?" Rex demanded.

"(Incomprehensible grunting noises)," Alz grunted with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I thought I should inform you, our attack on Gellara has been thwarted and Drog is dead," Gral reported.

"What!? How could this have happened!?" Rex roared.

"The nation of the undead I mentioned before, the Eternal Empire, got involved somehow and is now demanding our unconditional surrender," Gral continued. "Given the way they annihilated our forces, I'd recommend we give them what they want."

"Unacceptable! To think such cowardly words would come from the mouth of a Troll Lord! Traitor!" Rex bellowed with the countless trolls surrounding the Troll Lords openly jeering and growling at Gral. "We will NEVER give in! We'll use their bones as toothpicks!"

(Incomprehensible grunting noises)!" Alz grunted in agreement.

"Enough!" Gral shouted as he slammed his hands on the large stone slab they used as a table and stood up. "First of all, AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS NEVER HAS ANY IDEA WHAT ALZ IS SAYING!? Second of all, I had a feeling you would say that, and so, I call for the crowning of a new Troll King!" Every single troll in the clearing fell silent. They may be idiots, but even they understood the importance of what Gral had just said. There had only been one Troll King in the entire history of the Troll Kingdom. Trolls only spoke of him in legends, even if they couldn't remember his name and only referred to him as 'The King.'

"You think there's someone who could face all of the Troll Lords?" Rex sneered.

"As a matter of fact, we do," a suspiciously non-trollish voice announced. The trolls turned to see three figures appear seemingly from out of nowhere. The first appeared to be death given human form with eyes that struck fear even into the dumbest of trolls. The second was a demon wearing an orange suit and glasses. The third was….."Greetings, I am the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul and I am here to…"

"You!" Rex snarled at the third member of their group, completely ignoring Lucifer. "I banished you!"

"Tradition dictates that any troll, even exiled ones, can attempt to take up the mantle of Troll King," Go Gin retorted while Lucifer frowned at being ignored. Who the hell in their right mind would ignore HIM!?

(Incomprehensible grunting noises)!" Alz grunted angrily.

"You think you have what it takes to be the Troll King?" Rex growled.

"Let's find out," Go Gin replied as he drew his large metal war club and jumped onto the stone table shortly followed by Alz and Rex.

"Make this quick, Go Gin," Lucifer commanded in annoyed tone.

"As you wish."

Rex made the first move with an overhead strike with his weapon, which was a large club with several axe heads attached to it forming a sort of crown around the top. Go Gin parried and quickly retaliated with a punch to Rex's face that sent the Troll Lord spinning.

Alz swiped at Go Gin several times with his flail which Go Gin managed to dodge with only a little difficulty. His experience in Baharuth's arena was a great boon in this fight and gave Go Gin a distinct advantage. Whereas most trolls fought using brute strength and nothing more, Go Gin had learned to fight like humans and do more than hack and slash. He dodged several more times before his hand shot out and grabbed the flail's chain. With a sudden and forceful tug, he pulled Alz stumbling towards him and, with a swing of his powerful arm, delivered a crushing blow with his war club directly into Alz's face. The Troll Lord crumpled to the ground with half his face missing.

"(Incomprehensible gurgling sounds. I have no regrets as I go to meet my ancestors," Alz gurgled just before Go Gin brought his club down one last time onto the Troll Lord's head, crushing it and splattering blood and bits of brain across the stone.

"Huh," Gral mused as continued to watch from the sidelines. "I actually understood that last part."

"DIE!" Rex roared as he charged at Go Gin again, this time with a spiked shield in his other hand. Go Gin rolled to the side, almost rolling off the table as he did, in order to dodge the shield charge from Rex. The next exchange between the two mostly consisted of Go Gin dodging any strikes from the shield and club while throwing in a few a few of his own attacks to keep his enemy off balance. Finally, however, Rex managed to shield bash Go Gin and force to backpedal a bit and instinctively slip back into his stance. This time, when Rex attempted a shield bash, Go Gin side stepped, spun, and used the momentum to strengthen the blow of his war club smashing into Rex's back. Rex snarled and spun around to attempt to hit him with both his shield and his club. Go Gin ducked under the club as it swung over him and grabbed the bottom of the shield before pushing it back right into Rex's face, disorienting him and forcing to let go of the both the shield and his club. Rex didn't even have time to react because as soon as the shield was in Go Gin's hand, he received a blow to the knee, crippling him, followed by a shield bashing right in his face, knocking him to the ground.

"Go Gin," Lucifer called from the watching crowd. "Finish this up, would you?" Go Gin nodded towards his master and stood over the moaning Troll Lord. He discarded the shield and picked up Rex's own club before using both clubs to rain blow after blow onto Rex's increasingly bloodied form.

He hit him again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

After about a minute of consistent blows which left the meat well tenderized, not to mention the fact that Rex looked like a meat pancake than an actual living thing, Go Gin, covered in blood, finally stopped, turned around, and bowed towards his emperor.

"He is dead," Go Gin announced.

"Well done," Lucifer drawled as he stepped up onto the stone slab with Go Gin, Demiurge and Gral following closely behind. "The victor has been decided! Go Gin is now the Troll King! Are there any objections?"

"Lud ob-jicts! Lub is-" whatever Lub was about to say would never be revealed as Lucifer had cast his personal favorite [Grasp Heart] on the stupid beast.

"Anyone else?" Lucifer called out. Not a single troll spoke out, they weren't that stupid. "Wonderful. Now then, King Go Gin, what is your first command as king?"

"For the Troll Kingdom to join the Eternal Empire!" Go Gin boomed.

"You heard him!" Gral barked. "Disperse! Get out there and spread the word!" With that, the trolls sullenly dispersed as confused over what was happening as they were unhappy.

"Will you two be able to manage things alone from this point on?" Demiurge spoke up.

"Yes sir," Go Gin replied. "I'll have to travel the kingdom to ensure everyone knows who's in charge now and Gral will have to call off our forces from the City State Alliance, but it's just cleanup from here."

"Good. Demiurge, are we on schedule?" Lucifer inquired.

"Yes, my lord," Demiurge smirked. "In fact, I daresay we're a little ahead of schedule. As expected of you my lord."

"Then I see no reason to linger here," Lucifer stated as he summoned up two [Gate]s, one for his troops to enter the Troll Kingdom and the other for him and Demiurge to leave. "It's time we dealt with the situation in the Elf Country."

"No rest for the wicked, I suppose," Demiurge quipped.

* * *

Bonus Story: 25 Years in the Future

Mal rubbed his red eyes, eyes he happened to inherit from his father. He was a good-looking guy, in a bad boy sort of way. He had well developed devil horns sprouting upwards (unlike his mother's which sprouted forward), black spiky hair, and fangs just like his father. He detested those fancy, royal clothes that the maids kept insisting he wear and instead opted to wear leather combat armor at all times with a dark gray trenchcoat worn over it. He continued to mutter curses under his breath as he finished putting together lunch while he waited for his baby sister to arrive.

What was it that could piss off the 2nd Prince Malice Ulbert Dracul, one might ask? Simple: his DICKHEAD brother (who claimed to be the older brother even if he only older by 5 minutes), 1st Prince Hades Tabula Dracul, was leading the Imperial Navy in a retaliatory strike against the Aldmeri Dominion. Thalmor bastards thought they could just stroll on into their empire and take what they want? Yeah. Not fucking likely.

 _It's not that I don't want to head over there and burn their cities to ash, but couldn't t have waited until AFTER we saw Dez off to her first day of school? Workaholic asshole._

"Big brother," he heard a cute little voice speak up and the sensation of something tugging his sleeve. His usual mischievous smirk returned as bent down to pick up her up and placed her on his shoulders where she held onto his horns to steady herself as she peered over his messy hair to see what he was working on.

"Sup runt," he grunted to Princess Desdemona Bukubukuchagama Dracul, the youngest of the royal family at only 5 years old. She was a cute little girl, _OFCOURSE SHE FUCKING WAS SHE'S THE CUTEST LITTLE SISTER IN THE WORLD AND I'LL KICK THE ASSES OF WHATEVER DUMB MOTHERFUCKER SAYS OTHERWISE!_ She had long black hair, was exceptionally pale like her siblings, had little nubs on the sides of her head where horns would start to develop whenever she reached adolescence, and, as usual had a blank kuudere expression on her face. Her facial expression didn't noticeably change when he put her up on his shoulders, but he could tell she was pleased. Getting a good look at her could figure out why she took so long getting down here. It looked like mom had spent all morning stuffing her in different dresses. Her current one was a simple black dress with a gold spiderweb design on it inspired from mom's own dress.

"Why are your hands wet?" he asked as felt the liquid drip down his horns.

"Mommy was crying about how 'Her baby is finally old enough to leave the tomb' and stuff," Desdemona explained.

"You're lucky," Mal chuckled. "Back when me and Hades were your age, mom wouldn't let us out of the tomb without her or dad, even for school. The old man still had too many enemies lurking about so Demiurge, Yuri, and Avenir taught us. Hell, this one time when we were with him we went to Nemu's Ice Cream and a bunch of ex-Slane Theocracy asshats tried to kill us. I'd never seen dad so pissed off."

"What's that?" Desdemona asked as peering at the black lunchbox he had prepared.

"This is your lunch."

"The other thing."

"That, my dear Dez, is a brass knuckle. If any of the kids give you trouble, you use it to beat the shit out of e'm."

"That won't be necessary," the monotone voice of CZ stated, announcing her presence as put a sticker on the lunch boxer "while she is at school I will watch for and eliminate any and all threats."

"Fucking whatever just make sure you aim to kill," Mal growled.

"I will need to receive permission from Lord Dracul," CZ replied as she picked Desdemona up off of Mal and began to carry her off. "His majesty wishes to see her before she departs.

"Fuckin fine," Mal grunted as he stalked off.

 _Well shit, now I've got some free time before I join our forces to fuck up Tamriel. What to do with that time? Maybe Solution's up for a quick fuck? Nah, she went with the fucking workaholic. Oh, I know what to do, or rather, who._

With an evil grin, he ran over to Neuronist's torture chambers and picked out a random Thalmor captive. After beating on the bitch for a few minutes, he dragged her out of her cell and over to a wall with suspended chains where he shackled her.

"Please," she moaned. "I've already told you everything already, you don't have to do this."

"I know I don't have to," he hissed with a psychotic grin as he stabbed her in the shoulder with a knife, eliciting a scream from the High Elf. "I JUST WANT TO! I hate you Thalmor, so superior, so much better than everyone, so much better that you think you can go around attacking an empire you've never encountered and believe you'll win because 'elven supremacy is the only truth.' Fucktards. You won't feel so superior when you start begging me to kill you!"

"We were just-"

"Ssshhhhhh, I'll be doing the talking, thank you very much. Now for my first question," he began as his psychotic grin stretched even farther making him look like an incarnation of madness, evil, and (living up to his name) malice.

 **"Why so serious?"**

* * *

 **Here I am again. I have a question for you readers: Would you prefer shorter chapters and more frequent updates or longer chapters at a terrible fucking frequency? Your answers probably won't affect this fic, but will have an impact on the crossovers I have planned.**

 **HAIL AND KILL!**


End file.
